The Effect of Healthcare Communication on Patient Satisfaction in Individuals Applying to Emergency Service

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to examine the impact of healthcare communication on patient satisfaction among individuals utilizing emergency services. Specifically, it focuses on understanding how the communication process during patients' most recent emergency department visits influences their satisfaction levels.

Methods: The study was conducted among individuals aged between 18 and 65 years who had applied to an emergency service within the past year in Türkiye. To assess patient satisfaction, the Emergency Service Patient Satisfaction (ESPS) Scale was utilized, and the Healthcare Communication (HC) Scale was employed to evaluate participants' perceptions of communication during their emergency care experience. The study analyzed demographic data from 579 participants, and simple linear regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between healthcare communication and patient satisfaction.

Results: The regression analysis revealed a statistically significant and positive relationship between healthcare communication (HC) and emergency service patient satisfaction (ESPS) (p < 0.05). It was found that healthcare communication accounts for 11.4% of the variance in patient satisfaction with emergency services (R² = 0.114). Moreover, each one-unit increase in healthcare communication resulted in a 0.337-unit increase in patient satisfaction perception (β = 0.337).

Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that effective healthcare communication significantly enhances patient satisfaction in emergency service settings. These results underscore the importance of developing and strengthening communication skills among healthcare professionals as a strategic approach to improving patient satisfaction. Furthermore, focusing on communication processes can contribute substantially to enhancing the overall quality of emergency healthcare services.