Satisfaction Levels in Teaching vs. Non-Teaching Hospitals – Investigating the impact of medical training environments on patient experience

Abstract

Background:
Two parallel systems that divide medical facilities into teaching and non-teaching facilities are used in Saudi Arabia to deliver healthcare, which results in distinct consequences during patient treatment. Hospitals and educational institutions that offer patient care handle complicated medical issues and incorporate the results of recent research into their daily operations. Medical trainees have a beneficial and bad impact on the dynamics of patient encounters in teaching hospitals. Patient satisfaction is an essential indicator of the quality of healthcare provided.
Aim:
To evaluate and compare patient satisfaction levels between teaching and non-teaching hospitals in Saudi Arabia, and investigating how medical training environments influence patient experiences.
Methods:
This cross-sectional research was established on conscious patients at multiple hospitals across Saudi Arabia, including both teaching hospitals affiliated with medical schools and non-teaching hospitals. The satisfaction of the participants was evaluated using a questionnaire.
Results:
Among 153 recruited patients, 47.1% were from teaching hospitals, whereas 52.9% were from non-teaching settings. The mean±SD of satisfaction and perspective of the patients were 88.34±11.87 and 30.63±3.74, respectively. Teaching hospitals were considerably related to the higher mean scores of satisfaction and perspective of the patients (P=0.01).
Conclusion:
The overall patient satisfaction was good, but not optimum. The satisfaction and perspective of patients regarding teaching hospitals was better compared to that for non-teaching hospitals.