Patients’ Sense of Security in Shahroud (Northeast Iran) Hospitals

Abstract

Background: Sense of security is a psychosocial phenomenon that can impact the satisfaction and health of individuals. This study aimed to determine the factors that can affect the patient's sense of security. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 800 patients from governmental and nongovernmental hospitals were randomly selected in 2018 using an 84-item questionnaire. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. Results: The mean score obtained in dimensions of provided services was 41.63±9.95, psychological factors 27.44±5.68, financial factors 13.23±4.06 discipline factors 13.62±4.10, provided clinical services 87.11±16.81, and hoteling factors 74.64±16.79. Overall scores categorization showed 18(2.2), 144(18.0), and 638(79.8%) had a poor, moderate, and good sense of security, respectively. Chi-square test showed a significant association between patients' sense of security levels and the type of hospitals (P = 0.001). The overall satisfaction score for patients was 22.23±5.79. There was a significant relationship between patients’ satisfaction and their sense of security. In the final model, the medical and hoteling factors had the greatest impact on patients’ sense of security. Conclusion: Regarding the mutual effect of the sense of security and patients’ satisfaction and noticing that more than 20% of the patients had moderate and low levels of sense of security, paying more attention to hoteling factors and providing more insurance protection to the low-income strata can play a major role in improving patients’ sense of security.