Health status and satisfaction with pharmacy services

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between self-reported health status and satisfaction with pharmacy services. Study Design: Secondary analysis of data previously collected via a compute r-assisted telephone interview system. Patients and Methods: Survey respondents were enrollees in a large managed care organization who were recent patrons of either traditional or mail pha rmacy services. Satisfaction data were gathered using an existing satisfact ion with pharmacy services survey. Health status was measured using the Med ical Outcome Study's Short-Form 12-item Health Survey. The relationships be tween satisfaction with pharmacy services and health status were analyzed u sing structural equation modeling. Results: A significant positive relationship between mental health status a nd satisfaction with pharmacy services was hypothesized and confirmed. The correlations between mental health status and satisfaction, however, were n ot strong (r =.10 to .10). No relationship between physical health status a nd satisfaction with pharmacy services was observed. Similar results were o bserved in patrons of both traditional and mail pharmacy services. Conclusion: This investigation offers evidence that satisfaction with healt hcare services is more closely related to mental health status than to phys ical health status. This has important implications for case-mix adjustment s in the measurement of satisfaction with care.