PATIENTS EXPECTATIONS AND SATISFACTION IN A TEACHING HOSPITAL EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

Objective: To asses patients' expectations and satisfaction with the e mergency department services. Methods: A cross-sectional study incorpo rating a structured questionnaire, carried out on a sample of 1280 adu lts attending the emergency department in King Fahad Hospital of the U niversity in Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia. Results: Direct interviewing of subjects using a structured questionnaire was carried out. The main pa rameters were demographic variables, visit type, time spent in the eme rgency department, patients expectations and satisfaction with all asp ects of care offered in the emergency department. Conclusions: The stu dy has revealed reasonable rates of patients' satisfaction with emerge ncy department care. It also showed the need to improve certain areas in the Light of patients' expectations and satisfaction, some of which include emergency department health team communication skills, and in telligent manipulation of the numbers of manpower, as well as effectiv e triage and adoption of a nurse practitioner at the emergency departm ent.