Review article

https://doi.org/10.22598/pi-be/2017.11.1.63

PATIENT COMPLAINTS – TOOL FOR IMPROVING SERVICE QUALITY IN HOSPITALS

Vesna Čerfalvi orcid.org/0000-0002-7921-5519 ; University Hospital Centre Sestre Milosrdnice
Željka Benceković orcid.org/0000-0001-8056-0443 ; University Hospital Centre Sestre Milosrdnice

Abstract

Patients’ rights are considered to be a standard of quality and an important goal of the University Hospital Sestre Milosrdnice. Therefore, special attention is given to patient complaints. During a twelve-month period at the University Hospital Sestre Milosrdnice,
only 1.08 cases out of 10 000 cases of treatment was followed by an adequately received and processed complaint. 24% of the received complaints were related to the quality of patient-staff interaction, such as communication, 33% of complaints were related to treatment and patient care as well as medical documentation, 31% was related to the availability of medical care, while 6.7% of complaints was about the infrastructure and 5.3% about medical billing. Resolving the complaints and their justified causes should be effective and
treated as a priority. The response to each complaint should be fast and handled in a friendly manner, while the complaint itself should be considered by the staff and management of the medical institution as a promotor of quality rather than a disciplinary tool.

Keywords

patients’ rights; complaints; hospital; quality

Hrčak ID:

182908

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/182908

Publication date:

12.6.2017.

Article data in other languages: croatian

Visits: 2.262 *