The German Inpatient Satisfaction Scale

Abstract

A patient satisfaction instrument that is based on a large, representative sample does not yet exist in the German language. The objective of this article was to fill this gap by providing initial validation evidence of the German Inpatient Satisfaction Scale as an instrument for German-speaking countries. We performed an exploratory factor analysis and exploratory structural equation modeling in a cross-sectional design. The instrument was administered to N = 116,325 patients in hospitals in German-speaking countries. The overall response rates ranged from 63% to 98%. We found that a four-factor solution fit the data well. The four factors represented satisfaction with doctors’ care, nursing care, service facilities, and secondary care facilities. Cronbach’s alpha ranged from .72 to .90. The findings may be of practical interest for health care providers for measuring patient satisfaction.