Cross-sectional survey analysis reveals lower healthcare satisfaction linked to discrimination and public system reliance in Brazil, highlighting persistent service inequities.
Key Points
To evaluate healthcare user satisfaction with outpatient and inpatient services and identify the sociodemographic factors associated with satisfaction levels.
Analyzed cross-sectional data on outpatient and inpatient healthcare experiences from the 2003 World Health Survey in Brazil.
Used principal component analysis (PCA) for factor extraction and multiple regression models to evaluate associations between satisfaction scores and sociodemographic variables.
Long wait times represented the lowest rated aspect of outpatient care, whereas lack of freedom to choose a physician was rated worst for inpatient hospitalization.
Principal component analysis identified three core domains of satisfaction: health professionals, health services, and resolution of health problems.
Reporting discrimination based on gender, age, poverty, social class, skin color, or disease type, as well as exclusive reliance on the public National Health System, was associated with significantly lower satisfaction scores.