SATISFACTION WITH INPATIENT ACQUIRED-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-SYNDROME CARE -A NATIONAL COMPARISON OF DEDICATED AND SCATTERED-BED UNITS

OBJECTIVES. This study sought to determine whether there were differen ces in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients' satisfactio n with inpatient nursing care on dedicated AIDS units compared with co nventional, multidiagnosis medical units. METHODS. Interview data were collected from more than 600 consecutive AIDS admissions in 40 patien t care units in 20 hospitals in 11 high AIDS incidence cities. Ten hos pitals with dedicated AIDS units were matched with comparable hospital s treating AIDS patients on multidiagnosis medical units. AIDS patient s' satisfaction with nursing care on dedicated AIDS units was compared with AIDS patients' satisfaction with care on scattered-bed units in the same hospital and with AIDS patients' satisfaction on scattered-be d units in different, matched hospitals without dedicated units. Inter hospital differences that were not controlled by design were controlle d statistically, as were differences in patient characteristics and il lness severity RESULTS. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome patients re ceiving care on dedicated AIDS units were significantly more satisfied with their nursing care. In hospitals with units of both types, dedic ated AIDS units had a higher proportion of white patients, men,and hom osexuals, whereas scattered-bed units had more minority patients and i ntravenous drug users. Controlling for these factors as well as for di fferences in illness severity and interhospital differences in patient satisfaction did not diminish the positive AIDS unit effect on patien t satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS. Dedicated AIDS units achieve higher level s of satisfaction among patients with AIDS than general medical units. There is no evidence that patients feel isolated or stigmatized on de dicated AIDS units compared with patients on general units, and many p atients have a clear preference for dedicated units.