Factors associated with satisfaction with care among patients with epilepsy

Objective. The purpose of the work described here was to determine those variables associated with satisfaction with care among patients with epilepsy. Methods. We interviewed patients followed at a tertiary epilepsy center. Predictor variables included age, gender, race, education, income, insurance, seizure frequency, and Quality of Life in Epilepsy-10 inventory (QOLIE-10) results. Target variables were the subscales of the Short Form Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire (PSQ-18). We used univariate analysis to identify those variables significantly associated with the subscales and multiple linear regression to determine those independently significant. Results. The study population comprised 193 patients. Lower education and better QOLIE-10 scores were independently associated with general satisfaction with care. The mental health scale was associated with general satisfaction with care. Lower educational level was the only variable independently associated with patient satisfaction with communication, the financial aspect of care, and time spent with physician. Conclusion. Lower educational level and better quality of life are the main variables associated with higher general satisfaction with care among patients with epilepsy. (C) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.