Home Mechanical Ventilation: A Patient’s Perspective Survey Study

Background: An increasing number of patients included in home mechanical ventilation (HMV) care has been under observation for many years. The study aimed to assess the patients opinion concerning the expected and perceived quality of care in an HMV system and a patient’s satisfaction with care. Methods: In 2017, patients treated with HMV were surveyed in Poland with the modified SERVQUAL questionnaire. Results: One hundred correctly completed surveys were analyzed. Patient Satisfaction Index was high. In every examined area, the expectations were statistically significant larger than the perception of the services. The biggest gap was in the tangibility dimension and the smallest gap was in the empathy dimension. Perceived respect and understanding for a patient’s needs are close to the expectations. Conclusions: The level of satisfaction with health care among patients treated with HMV in majority of investigated components is high. Moreover, the difference between perceived and expected quality of health care in the HMV system was relatively small in the opinion of the patients themselves. Further investigations with alternative methods are needed.