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29-Apr-2026
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Arch Hellen Med, 43(4), July-August 2026, 487-496 ORIGINAL PAPER Patients' experiences in an emergency department: A cross-sectional study M. Kitsou,1 P. Galanis,2 S. Plakas,1 E. Papageorgiou,3 M. Kelesi-Stavropoulou,1 I. Efstratiou,1 C. Tsiou1 |
OBJECTIVE Documentation of the experiences of patients who visited the emergency department (ED) of a general hospital in Attica.
METHOD A cross-sectional study was conducted using a convenience sample of 350 adult patients and or accompanying persons who visited the ED of "Georgios Gennimatas" General Hospital of Athens, Greece, on general on-call duty days. Data were collected from October 2022 to September 2023 through a structured questionnaire. The questionnaires were completed in the physical presence of the principal investigator, who remained in the ED area throughout the data collection period.
RESULTS A total of 53.7% of participants rated their experience in the ED positively, 37.7% rated it as moderate, and 8.6% rated it negatively. The quality of care was assessed as good to very good by 76% of respondents, while 3.7% characterized it as poor. Information provided by healthcare professionals received high ratings from 97.3% of participants. Communication was considered good/very good by 61.8%, moderate by 31.1%, and poor by 7.1%. Additionally, 72.6% of participants reported feeling respected and that their dignity was preserved throughout their stay. Statistically significant associations revealed that patients who experienced better communication with healthcare professionals reported more positive experiences in the ED. Similarly, those who rated the quality of care higher also reported more favorable experiences. Moreover, patients who had better communication with healthcare professionals stated that they received higher quality care, while better information provision was also associated with improved perceived care quality in the ED.
CONCLUSIONS The quality of communication between patients and healthcare professionals, along with perceived care, are critical factors contributing to a positive patient experience in the ED. Mere provision of information is insufficient without supportive and empathetic communication. Further investigation into interpersonal communication and the quality of care in the ED may enhance understanding of the factors that influence patient experience.
Key words: Emergency department, Emergency healthcare, Evaluation, Patients' experience, Quality of care.
