OBJECTIVES: Patient Reported Experience Measures (PREMs) capture patients' perspectives on healthcare services, enabling policymakers to assess overall patient experience, focus on critical aspects of care, identify gaps, and develop effective action plans to improve healthcare quality. This study investigates patient experiences with healthcare services using PREM tool and identify various gaps in patient care.

METHODS: To study patient experiences with healthcare services, both quantitative and qualitative data were collected. The study took place in 2021 and included 20 patients from the Cardiology and Cardiothoracic departments of a hospital in Attica region-Greece. The majority of patients were men (65%) and under 65 years old (70%). Data were gathered through individual interviews with patients. The questionnaire used was adapted to the Picker Patient Experience questionnaire (PPE-15) and was focused on 7 major dimensions (information and education, coordination of care, physical comfort, emotional support, respect for patient preferences, continuity and transition, overall impression).

RESULTS: Overall, in all these dimensions the patients were rather satisfied with the healthcare services provided. However, 30% experienced pain during their stay with 16% rating staff efforts to manage pain as moderate. Additionally, 6 incidents were noted that disturbed or displeased the patients during their stay in the hospital (e.g. communication with the hospital staff, etc.). Interviews revealed additional negative factors affecting patient experiences: travel distance to the hospital, noise levels, non-compliance with hygiene and COVID-19 precautionary measures, a need for more information from doctors about the procedures, and staff rudeness and inadequacy.

CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that patient experience can be influenced by numerous factors, both positively and negatively. Measuring patient experience through PREMs can provide valuable insights into service quality and help identify issues or reduced quality of healthcare services. In-depth exploration of patient experiences can shift the focus toward more patient-centered services, empowering the healthcare systems.