Army personnel satisfaction in different settings of primary health care clinics

Purpose: To analyze patient satisfaction in Israeli Defense Forces primary care clinics (PCCs), and to compare different satisfaction indices that best correlate with general satisfaction index. Methods: Large-scale patient satisfaction survey throughout all PCCs, classified as active front clinics, training schools clinics, and home front clinics. Results: Participants (5,103) filled out standardized questionnaires. Patients in active front clinics were more satisfied with their PCCs than in the other two settings. Patients showed the highest satisfaction level in the environment questions and the lowest satisfaction level in the accessibility questions. In training school clinics and home front clinics, accessibility questions were most important, whereas in active front clinics, health outcome questions prevailed. Conclusions: Overall patient satisfaction is the highest in active front clinics, lower in training school clinics, and lowest in home front clinics. Accessibility is the most important factor in patient satisfaction in training school and home front units, and is less important in active front units.