Reduced patient demands in hospitals and their determinants.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to analyze the extent to which patients have suppressed their demands during their hospital stay and to examine the factors that determine this reduction in demands.

Methods: The data, which provided the basis for this study, were obtained from a postal survey utilizing the Cologne Patient Questionnaire (CPQ) that was sent to 1,548 patients who had been treated in 1 of 3 hospitals in Germany. The survey itself was conducted within the scope of the research project entitled "Organizational Governance Using Biopsychosocial Codes" (U-BIKE-Studie).

Results: Eight hundred fifty-five patients completed and returned the questionnaire (55.2% response rate). Descriptive analyses showed that less than one-half of the patients surveyed had suppressed their needs and reduced their demands during their hospital stay. Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that "reduced patient demands" in hospitals are primarily determined by a general tendency on the part of patients to excuse errors and inconvience arising during the hospital stay, a tendency that is strongly associated with the (traditional) concept of the patient role. These analyses also demonstrated that such a reduction is also determined by hospital services and hospital stay-related aspects.

Conclusions: The analyses of this study revealed that fewer patients than initially expected had indeed reduced their demands during their hospital stay. Apart from the patient's experiences during their most recent hospital stay, this reduction in demands depends primarily on the patient's "tendency to excuse" and thus on the concept of the patient's role. Taking the concept of "reduced patient demands" in hospitals into consideration can help make the hospital stay more patient-oriented and ensure that the evaluation and interpretation of the hospital stay will be interpreted in light of the concept of the patient role.