Patient Experience and Care Humanization Across Departments at a Tuscan Hospital

Introduction

The hospitalization experience is crucial in modern health care. In fact, the developing of Patient-reported Experience Measures (PREMs) allow to improve quality of care through what is reported by the patient. This study aims to analyze PREMs data to identify strengths and weaknesses in care humanization in a Tuscan hospital.

Methods

A quantitative design was adopted to analyze data from patients discharged from Nottola Hospital (total beds 163: 142 inpatient, 21 Day Hospital/Day Surgery) in 2024. Data were collected through digital PREMs questionnaires and analyzed using STATA software. Chi-square tests compared perceptions across units, with a significance level of p < 0.05.

Results

Data from 722 patients revealed significant differences across units in patient experience. Notable disparities emerged in perceptions of emotional support from physicians (p = 0.0002) and nurses (p = 0.0010). The Orthopedics and Traumatology unit reported lower scores for emotional support from physicians, while Internal Medicine had higher ratings for support from nurses. Significant differences also emerged in perceived respect shown by Healthcare Assistants (p < 0.001): 40% of patients in Internal Medicine reported disrespectful behavior, compared to 20% in other units. Additional differences were noted in how often patients felt staff spoke about them as if they were not present. Specifically, 30% of Internal Medicine and 28% of Gynecology patients reported such behavior from physicians (p = 0.014), 35% of Internal Medicine patients from nurses (p = 0.003), and 25% from other staff (p = 0.044).

Conclusions

This study provides valuable insights into patient experience variations across various units at Nottola Hospital. The findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to improve care humanization, focusing on emotional support, respect, and communication between staff and patients.

Key messages

• Patient experience varies significantly across units. Specific gaps in emotional support and respect (up to 40% in some wards) highlight that humanization is not uniform within the same hospital.

• High rates of staff talking “as if the patient were not present” signal a need for targeted communication training to improve care humanization and patient-centered clinical practice.