[Determinants of patient satisfaction in a university clinic of dermatology as a parameter for patient orientation in quality management].

Background: Acquisition of patient's quality perception is an essential element for quality management in a clinic. Determinants important for patient satisfaction at a dermatological university clinic were investigated.
Patients and Methods: 650 in-patients of a dermatological university clinic were approached in written form at discharge. The questionnaire contained questions to importance and satisfaction, to structures and processes of the clinic orientated at the requirements of KTQ (Cooperation for transparency and quality in the hospital).
Results: The response rate was 51 %. 98 % of the patients stated that they would like to be treated in the clinic again. High satisfaction was shown to important items for patients as medical and nursing care and the healing process. In general patient's needs differ little to those derived from other patient questionnaires but they show specialty specific features. Important suggestions can be derived from the attached free text answer.
Conclusions: From the results a lot of steps to improve patient's care could be derived and implemented. Since the results of patient questionnaires are subjected to multiple partially subjective factors, the comparison with other hospitals/disciplines (benchmarking) or the exact scientific acquisition is only restrictedly possible. Repetitive investigations in combination with further steps are a valuable instrument on the way to a continuous improvement process.