Patient vs. Companion Satisfaction in the Emergency Department: Cross-sectional, Telephone-Based Survey.
5 affiliations
- 1American University of Beirut Medical Center, Department of Emergency Medicine, Beirut, Lebanon.
- 2Lebanese American University Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Beirut, Lebanon.
- 3American University of Beirut Medical Center, Department of Internal Medicine, Clinical Research Institute, Beirut, Lebanon.
- 4Alfaisal University College of Medicine, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- 5American University of Beirut, Patient Affairs Office, Beirut, Lebanon.
Abstract
Introduction
In Lebanon, it is common for multiple family members to accompany patients to the ED. In this cultural context, where family is closely involved with patient care, we sought to identify and compare factors associated with satisfaction among patients and their companions during the same emergency department (ED) visit.Methods
This cross-sectional, telephone-based survey compared factors associated with satisfaction among adult patients and their companions, during the same ED visit, at a tertiary-care center in Beirut, Lebanon. Adult patients presenting to the ED with intermediate- or low-acuity complaints were included in the study. We administered a questionnaire to patients and their companions covering six domains, including demographics, general admission, nursing and medical teams, discharge process, and overall satisfaction. Satisfaction was then categorized into high and low. We conducted an analysis of variables associated with high overall satisfaction for each group.Results
A total of 100 patients and 100 companions completed the survey, with a 45.7% response rate. Among companions, the top three factors associated with high overall satisfaction were: respect of confidentiality and privacy (odds ratio 12.98, 95% CI, 4.79-35.19), length of stay before being seen by triage nurse (9.77, 3.68-25.89), and overall ED length of stay (9.56, 3.7-24.37). Among patients, the top three factors associated with high overall satisfaction were: amount of time the physician spent with the patient (20.26, 7.10-57.82); overall ED length of stay (19.71, 5.44-71.39), and length of stay before being seen by the emergency physician team (13.26, 4.84-36.35). All variables were statistically significant for both patients and companions except for the discharge process, which was only significant for companions.Conclusion
This study suggests that patients and companions may have different experiences of their ED visit, highlighting the top factors associated with satisfaction for each group. Emergency department efforts aimed at enhancing patient experience should also consider processes related to companion experience in cultural contexts where family/relatives play an integral role in patient care.
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BibTeX
@article{mghames2026patient,
title = {{Patient vs. Companion Satisfaction in the Emergency Department: Cross-sectional, Telephone-Based Survey.}},
author = {Abdo Mghames and Louisa Maria Alam and Hani Tamim and Yara Abou Harb and Eveline Hitti},
journal = {The western journal of emergency medicine},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.5811/westjem.47351},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42900952},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Patient vs. Companion Satisfaction in the Emergency Department: Cross-sectional, Telephone-Based Survey.
AU - Abdo Mghames
AU - Louisa Maria Alam
AU - Hani Tamim
AU - Yara Abou Harb
AU - Eveline Hitti
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/24
JO - The western journal of emergency medicine
DO - 10.5811/westjem.47351
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42900952
AB - Introduction In Lebanon, it is common for multiple family members to accompany patients to the ED. In this cultural context, where family is closely involved with patient care, we sought to identify and compare factors associated with satisfaction among patients and their companions during the same emergency department (ED) visit.Methods This cross-sectional, telephone-based survey compared factors associated with satisfaction among adult patients and their companions, during the same ED visit, at a tertiary-care center in Beirut, Lebanon. Adult patients presenting to the ED with intermediate- or low-acuity complaints were included in the study. We administered a questionnaire to patients and their companions covering six domains, including demographics, general admission, nursing and medical teams, discharge process, and overall satisfaction. Satisfaction was then categorized into high and low. We conducted an analysis of variables associated with high overall satisfaction for each group.Results A total of 100 patients and 100 companions completed the survey, with a 45.7% response rate. Among companions, the top three factors associated with high overall satisfaction were: respect of confidentiality and privacy (odds ratio 12.98, 95% CI, 4.79-35.19), length of stay before being seen by triage nurse (9.77, 3.68-25.89), and overall ED length of stay (9.56, 3.7-24.37). Among patients, the top three factors associated with high overall satisfaction were: amount of time the physician spent with the patient (20.26, 7.10-57.82); overall ED length of stay (19.71, 5.44-71.39), and length of stay before being seen by the emergency physician team (13.26, 4.84-36.35). All variables were statistically significant for both patients and companions except for the discharge process, which was only significant for companions.Conclusion This study suggests that patients and companions may have different experiences of their ED visit, highlighting the top factors associated with satisfaction for each group. Emergency department efforts aimed at enhancing patient experience should also consider processes related to companion experience in cultural contexts where family/relatives play an integral role in patient care.
SN - 1936-900X
SN - 1936-9018
ER -