Patient satisfaction on a medical day ward: a comparison of nurse-led and physician-led services.

Patient satisfaction on a medical Day Ward at Worthing Hospital, England, was investigated using a self-report questionnaire. One-hundred and fifty-five respondents provided quantitative data on waiting times, patient information, anxiety, ward environment, and nursing care. Patients attending for physician-led, investigative procedures were found to be more anxious and generally far less satisfied than those attending for nurse-led, non-investigative procedures. Patients aged under 60 were similarly less satisfied. Regarding nursing care, respondents were most satisfied with "nurses' technical skills", and least satisfied with "concern for patients' privacy". The study allowed staff to systematically evaluate patient satisfaction and provided direction for service improvements. Future work should aim to identify the relative importance of aspects of care, and to further compare nurse-led and physician-led services.