Level of satisfaction of users of a teaching hospital: the influence of the presence of students

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the level of satisfaction of inpatients in a teaching hospital regarding the quality of the hospital service by comparing term and non-term times. Method: Cross-sectional study carried out in three inpatient units with users from 18 to 80 years old who stayed in the hospital for at least 72 hours. An instrument for sociodemographic characterization and the SERVQUAL scale were applied to measure the level of satisfaction. Data collection occurred in two periods: term and non-term times. Results: Three hundred and five users of the service of both genders, with an average age of 46.2 years, were interviewed. Concerning the dimensions that make up the SERVQUAL scale, empathy was mentioned as the one with which the users attended to during term time expressed the greatest dissatisfaction (p=0.01). Regarding the service dimension, the level of satisfaction of the users was higher during term time (p=0.01). Tangibles, reliability, and assurance did not show differences when comparing the two examined periods. Conclusion: The users identified higher empathy and better service during term time, but similar perceptions were not reported for assurance and reliability.