[Satisfied companion, a quality indicator in emergencies]. / Acompañante satisfecho, un indicador de calidad.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the level of satisfaction of the accompanying person in the Emergency Department and to identify main factors that could influence satisfaction and to establish areas of improvement. METHODOLOGY: A retrospective descriptive study of family or companion of patients seen in the Emergency Department. A randomised telephone questionnaire was used. The statistics used were chi-squared for categorical variables and variance analysis for those showing a normal distribution. The analysis was made with the SPSS 16.0 programme. RESULTS: A total of 117 responses were received, from a minimum sample size of 90. The demographic characteristics of the accompanying person did not influence the evaluation of the satisfaction, unlike of other studies. The fact of accompanying the patient and receiving periodic information showed differences in overall satisfaction of the accompanying person, as well as the waiting time. A long waiting time and the lack of company were the most frequent reasons for dissatisfaction. The accompanying person emphasised the feeling of isolation of the patient, the lack of health personnel, the long wait for assistance and the location of facilities. CONCLUSIONS: Rapid assistance, facilities for the accompanying person, information, empathy and friendliness are the factors which are the most appreciated when they come to Emergency Department.

[Evaluation of family satisfaction of pediatrics emergency services]. / Evaluación de la satisfacción de los familiares en las urgencias pediátricas.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the level of satisfaction of families of the pediatric department hospital emergency services; to identify the key service performance factors that could influence their final satisfaction and to find best practices from a review of experiences evaluated. METHODOLOGY: A descriptive retrospective study was carried out. Family members who accompanied a child during his stay in the hospital emergency service were included in the study. The sample was defined using a random systematic methodology with telephone surveys as the main tool. The statistical methods used were standard deviation for categorical variables and the analysis of the variance for the continuous variables. The SPSS 16.0 programme was used as the main tool for evaluating the results. RESULTS: A total of 120 surveys were made with 96 responses obtained. The demographic profile of the main companion of the child was a woman, married, active worker with medium/university education. In 100% of the cases the main companion was a direct member of the family, and 85% of cases it was the child's mother. The pathology was considered mild in 65% of cases, with 86% of them being being resolved. There was very little difference between the actual time and the perceived time. From the information obtained, a high level of general satisfaction was perceived, with a positive assessment (in 76% of the cases), on the way the were treated by hospital staff. The areas for improvement were those associated with the identification of the health staff and facilities. CONCLUSION: As a general assessment of the study it was shown that the main factors of satisfaction for the family members were those related to being able to accompany the child, and the kindness and the respect.