Predictors of patient satisfaction in surgery.

Background: We sought to evaluate the satisfaction of surgical patients in order to identify predictors of patient satisfaction, using a cross-sectional surgery patients' survey in 24 public hospitals in Spain and a total of 15,539 inpatients and 7,899 outpatients.

Results: Seventy-seven percent of inpatients and 88.3% of outpatients were satisfied (chi(2) = 509.

[Factors determining patients' choice of hospital].

Objective: To identify the best way to inform patients about centers and services so that they can make a responsible choice, and to identify which factors determine patients' decisions.

Subjects And Methods: Data on three illnesses (breast cancer, benign prostatic hypertrophy, and cataracts) in three fictitious hospitals were shown to patients. The data were presented to 1,259 subjects through four different means: a brochure including a table, a brochure with a bar graph, three brochures with tables, and three brochures with bar graphs.