Self-assessment of professional satisfaction with general practice consultations: a reflection on the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire

Authors

  • Rita Vilaça Torres MD. Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Coimbra. Coimbra, Portugal.
  • Luiz Miguel Santiago MD, PhD. Centro de Estudos e Investigação em Saúde da Universidade de Coimbra (CEISUC). Coimbra, Portugal | Clínica Universitária de Medicina Geral e Familiar, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Coimbra. Coimbra, Portugal.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32385/rpmgf.v41i5.14221

Keywords:

Job satisfaction, General and family medicine, Primary health care, Consultation, Self-assessment

Abstract

Introduction: The Portuguese version of the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire (PSQ-PT) involves the physician's self-assessment perception of their consultation.

Objectives: To verify the reliability of the Medical Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) and to validate it convergently with the self-assessment of satisfaction with the consultation in General and Family Medicine.

Methods: The PSQ-PT was adapted to QSM and a survey was conducted with QSM, with a lower score indicating a better result, the question "How do you rate your satisfaction with your consultations, in general?", on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the best, and contextual questions on sex, career category, and type of Health Unit of work, in December 2023 and December 2024, online on specific social media conversation platforms, with a minimum sample size of n=71 responses, without duplicates, in each application.

Results: The reliability verified equal results. A sample of n=265 was studied, 67.2% women, 76.6% Specialists, 83.4% in the USF model, n=149 in 2023, and n=116 in 2024. The reliability was 0.675, Cronbach’s alpha, and if an item was excluded, it ranged between [0.634 and 0.685], and the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient was 0.298 [0.161 to 0.420], with a 95% confidence interval. The Kendall correlation between the sum of QSM and satisfaction with the consultations was r=-0.384, p<0.001. Only by sex, the QSM was significantly different, p<0.001, with men scoring 16.3±3.1 and women 18.3±3.1.

Discussion: An unprecedented study on a scale of good internal consistency and reliability, which will allow for future improvement in quality by adjusting some of the poorly answered premises.

Conclusion: The QSM allows for the evaluation of professional satisfaction with the consultation in general practice, enabling the identification of areas for improvement.

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Author Biography

  • Luiz Miguel Santiago, MD, PhD. Centro de Estudos e Investigação em Saúde da Universidade de Coimbra (CEISUC). Coimbra, Portugal | Clínica Universitária de Medicina Geral e Familiar, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Coimbra. Coimbra, Portugal.

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Published

2025-11-03

How to Cite

Self-assessment of professional satisfaction with general practice consultations: a reflection on the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire. (2025). Portuguese Journal of Family Medicine and General Practice, 41(5), 386-95. https://doi.org/10.32385/rpmgf.v41i5.14221

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