Patient satisfaction and discharge-planning quality following upper gastrointestinal endoscopy: a single-center cross-sectional study

Background Effective discharge planning and patient satisfaction are essential elements of high-quality care after upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy. Adherence to post-procedure protocols and patient outcomes may be enhanced by clear communication and thorough instructions. Aim : This study aims to assess patient satisfaction and discharge-planning quality following upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and to examine the association between them. Methods A single-center cross-sectional study was conducted at the Digestive Endoscopy Service of Qassim University Medical City, using a convenience sample of 74 patients who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Eligible patients were approached in person in the endoscopy unit after the procedure and were provided with a link or QR code to complete a self-administered electronic Arabic questionnaire. We assessed patient satisfaction using the modified Group Health Association of America-9 (mGHAA-9) instrument, and discharge-planning quality using a newly developed discharge-planning questionnaire. Results The median primary 8-item discharge-planning score was 7.0 (IQR, 5.0–8.0), corresponding to a median percentage score of 77.8% (IQR, 55.6–88.9%), and the median patient satisfaction score was 33.0 (IQR, 20.0–35.0) among the 74 participants. While 63.5% of individuals received written instructions, 83.8% of participants reported receiving clear discharge instructions. Patient satisfaction was positively associated with the primary 8-item discharge-planning score (Spearman's ρ = 0.633, 95% CI: 0.468–0.756, p < 0.001). Residence was not statistically significantly associated with discharge-planning quality (B = −1.342, β = −0.193, p = 0.081, 95% CI: −2.854 to 0.169), while prior endoscopic experience was associated with higher patient-satisfaction scores (B = 4.066, β = 0.264, p = 0.020). Source of information about endoscopy was associated with discharge-planning quality (B = 1.362, β = 0.303, p = 0.008), and endoscopic indication was associated with patient satisfaction (B = 1.831, β = 0.241, p = 0.030). Conclusions Patient satisfaction and discharge-planning quality were positively associated following upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. The descriptive findings identified potential service-improvement priorities, including the provision of written instructions and post-discharge contact information. These observations should not be interpreted as causal implications of the observed association. Given the small, single-center sample, and the exploratory, hypothesis-generating nature of the adjusted analyses, the findings require confirmation in larger, multicenter studies.