Patients' satisfaction with the care given by district nurses at home and at primary health care centres

The main purpose of this study was to investigate patients' satisfaction wi th the care given by the district nurses at home and at the primary health care centres in one area of Greater Stockholm. The questionnaire entitled ' Quality of Care from the Patient's Perspective' (QPP) was used. A total of 168 adult, home-care (HC) and 264 outpatient clinic (OC) patients answered this questionnaire. Maximum median scores were reported for most items desi gned to measure the four following dimensions: 'medical-technical' competen ce of the district nurses; 'physical-technical' conditions of the care orga nization; (identity orientation' in the attitudes and actions of the distri ct nurses and the 'socio-cultural' atmosphere of the care organization; and the perceived accessibility of nursing care. Some areas were identified as being in need of improvement, for example, pain alleviation, safety of the patients' home environment, the possibility of the patients participating in the decision-making process, the feeling that the care is not based on t he patients' desires and needs, and the possibility of always meeting the s ame district nurse. Differences between HC and OC patients and between sub- groups were found regarding demographic characteristics and self-rated, phy sical health and psychological well-being. HC and OC patients with poor, se lf-rated, physical health were identified as being likely to be dissatisfie d with the care.