Factors influencing satisfaction with emergency department medical service: Patients' and their companions' perspectives.

AIMS: To examine the individual determinants that influence satisfaction with medical services at the emergency department and to compare the factors that influence satisfaction for the patients, compared with their companions.
METHODS: Using data from the 2009 Korea Health Panel Survey, Andersen's behavioral model was used to examine the factors that affect satisfaction with service. A logistic regression analysis was conducted with the data.
RESULTS: Patients who were older, female, and employed were more satisfied with the service, as were patients who visited more frequently and those who had non-surgical treatment. Companions who had less education, were accompanying non-Medicaid-holders, and spent a longer time in the emergency department were less likely to be satisfied. This was in contrast to those who spent a shorter amount of time in the emergency department and who visited due to illness, rather than injury; these companions were more satisfied with the service. When all the factors were analyzed simultaneously, they differed significantly between the two groups of patients and companions.
CONCLUSIONS: Different factors contributed to the satisfaction with the services for the patients and their companions. In order to increase the satisfaction levels and improve the quality of care in emergency departments, it is necessary to consider more specific approaches that reflect the different perspectives of the visitors to the emergency department.