INTRODUCTION:

Communication is a lifelong learning process. Nurses make the intimate journey with patients and their families from the miracle of birth to the mystery of death. A nurse communicate with patients and families to develop meaningful relationships within those relationship nurse collect relevant assessment data, provide education and interact during nursing interventions¹

Patient satisfaction has become increasingly important in today’s health care environment. The quality of the patient-provider communication has a broad range of impact over the practice of medicine, including health care outcomes. Patient satisfaction improved significantly through overall satisfaction and satisfaction within information and decision-making satisfaction with contact and staff-patient relationship, ward facilities and examinations and satisfaction with physical nursing care.

Patient satisfaction is an important tool to measure the quality of service in health care organization. Patient satisfaction measured adds importance to system performance thus contributing to the organization total quality management effort.²

TITLE OF THE STUDY:

A correlational study to identify therapeutic communication on patient satisfaction among patients admitted in hospitals at Kolhapur.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY:

1. To assess the therapeutic communication by administering therapeutic communication scale.

2. To assess the level of patient satisfaction on therapeutic communication by administering patient satisfaction scale.

3. To find out the correlation between therapeutic communication and patient satisfaction.

NEED FOR THE STUDY:

Now days our health care delivery system is looking for quality centered and holistic nursing care. But in many of the hospitals it is lacking. Patients are the one who is judging the nurses starting from the first meeting of a nurse with the client on admission till discharge. Many patients are complaining about the lack of communication in most of the hospitals and the researcher also had an experience that the patients are complaining that they didn’t get the information properly saying that nurses have no time.³

There are very few studies related to therapeutic communication and studies show that patient’s expectations were not met. Nurse need to know what factors influence patient satisfaction to improve therapeutic communication. Literature reviews support that most of the patients are dissatisfied with nursing care and less communication is taking place between patient and nurse and the researcher herself had an experience in this during her posting. Hence the researcher found the need for further research in this area.

HYPOTHESIS:

H1: There is a correlation between therapeutic communication and level of patient satisfaction at 0.05 level of significance.

METHODOLOGY:

The research approach adopted for the study was Quantitative, Descriptive survey, research design was descriptive correlational,. By using Simple Random sampling technique, 100 patients admitted in medical, surgical and orthopaedic ward were selected for the study. Structured therapeutic communication scale and patient satisfaction scale was used to assess the therapeutic communication and level of patient satisfaction. Reliability of the tool was tested by using Cronbach’s alpha formula. Data was analyzed by using mean, median, mode, standard deviation, range and Karl Pearson’s Correlation coefficient formula.

RESULTS:

Section I: Demographic variables of admitted patients:

Majority of subjects 49 (49%) belonged to age group of 21 – 40 years, while 27(27%) belonged to age group of 41 – 60 years,13(13 %)to age group of 61-80 years & 10 (10%) belonged to age group of 81 & above years. Majority of subjects were males 58(58%) and females were 42 (42%). Majority of subjects were married 55(55%) and single 18(18%) as their marital status. Majority of participants had the educational qualification of high school 39(39%) and Graduated 19(19%) whereas only 11(11%) had Post Graduation and above educational status. Majority of the participants 30(30%) had arithmetic skill jobs and 17(17%) belonged under the category of semi-skill work, 15(15%) were skilled worker, 14(14%) were professional, 12(12%) were unemployed and 7(7%) had unskilled work, whereas least 5(5%) were semi-professional. In case of length of the stay in hospital, majority of the participants 47(47%) belonged under 5-8days & 20 (20%) participants were admitted for 13-16 days.

Section II:

Table No.1: Mean, Median, Mode, Standard deviation and Range of therapeutic communication (TCS) and patient satisfaction scores (PSS) n=100

Area of analysis	Mean	Median	Mode	S.D.	Range
Therapeutic communication score	68.63	69	51	14.67	61
Patient satisfaction score	78.76	79	94	14.76	65

Table no.1 reveals that overall therapeutic communication scores’ mean was 68.63, median was 69, mode was 51, standard deviation was 14.67 and range was 61.It also reveals that overall patient satisfaction scores’ mean was 78.76, median was 79, mode was 94, standard deviation was 14.76 and range was 65.

Section III :

Table No.2 Testing of Hypothesis:

Correlation between therapeutic

communication and patient satisfaction

r = 0.761 (0 < r <1)

Moderately positive correlation

Correlation between therapeutic communication and patient satisfaction was calculated by Karl Pearson Coefficient Correlation r = 0.761, which indicates that there is moderately positive correlation between therapeutic communication and patient satisfaction. So the hypothesis (H1) was accepted.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Based on the findings of the study, the following recommendations were made:

1. Similar study can be reported by increasing the size of the sample.

2. Similar study would be repeated in outpatient department of this institute.

CONCLUSION:

The study concluded that correlation was calculated Karl Pearson’s Coefficient correlation which was r=0.76 value was greater than 0 & lesser than 1(0>1) which indicated that the there was moderate positive correlation between therapeutic communication and patient satisfaction. Therefore the findings revealed that if there is good therapeutic communication there would be increase in patient satisfaction.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:

I extend my sincere thanks to Mr.Amos Talsandekar, Mrs.Suchitrarani Rathod, Mr.Akshay Patil, Ms.Jayashree C. and participants of study.

REFERENCE:

1. Potter and Perry. Fundamentals of Nursing. 2nd ed. Elsevier India.2017.p.133-162.

2. Muhammed Hussain khan et al. Patient satisfaction with nursing care [Internet].Jan-Jun 2007.p:28- 30.Available from: http://www.pakmedinet.com/10674

3. Sheeja M.J. Therapeutic communication and patient satisfaction among patients in medical ward. (Dissertation). Bangalore. Rajiv Gandhi University.2009.

Dhange Vinayak Nilakanth

ABSTRACT: