OBJECTIVE: To identify elements of the environment that patients consider when evaluating the quality of a care experience in outpatient rehabilitation settings. DESIGN: A qualitative study using a modified grounded theory approach. Data collection used semistructured interviewing during 9 focus groups. SETTING: Three postacute ambulatory centers in metropolitan areas. PARTICIPANTS: Adults (N=57; 33 men, 24 women) undergoing outpatient rehabilitation for musculoskeletal conditions/injuries. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Not applicable. RESULTS: Participants perceived the quality of rehabilitation service on the basis of their experiences with environmental factors, including 3 physical factors (facility design, ambient conditions, and social factors) and 4 organizational factors (duration of attendance, interruptions during delivery of care, waiting times in the sequence of treatment, and patient safety). CONCLUSIONS: This study identifies the specific environmental attributes that patients consider important when evaluating the quality of outpatient rehabilitation settings and develops a patient-based framework for assessing the overall perception of service quality. Further research should work to develop self-report questionnaires about patient experiences with the environment in rehabilitation services to provide empirical and quantitative evidence.
OBJECTIVE: To identify elements of the environment that patients consider when evaluating the quality of a care experience in outpatient rehabilitation settings. DESIGN: A qualitative study using a modified grounded theory approach. Data collection used semistructured interviewing during 9 focus groups. SETTING: Three postacute ambulatory centers in metropolitan areas. PARTICIPANTS: Adults (N=57; 33 men, 24 women) undergoing outpatient rehabilitation for musculoskeletal conditions/injuries. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Not applicable. RESULTS:Participants perceived the quality of rehabilitation service on the basis of their experiences with environmental factors, including 3 physical factors (facility design, ambient conditions, and social factors) and 4 organizational factors (duration of attendance, interruptions during delivery of care, waiting times in the sequence of treatment, and patient safety). CONCLUSIONS: This study identifies the specific environmental attributes that patients consider important when evaluating the quality of outpatient rehabilitation settings and develops a patient-based framework for assessing the overall perception of service quality. Further research should work to develop self-report questionnaires about patient experiences with the environment in rehabilitation services to provide empirical and quantitative evidence.
Authors: Javier Marín; Teresa Blanco; José J Marín; Alejandro Moreno; Elena Martitegui; Juan C Aragüés Journal: PLoS One Date: 2019-10-30 Impact factor: 3.240