Background We examined the association of a migration background and patient satisfaction in a pediatric nephrology outpatient clinic in Germany. Methods This was a cross-sectional study of 348 families presenting at the Pediatric Nephrology Outpatient Department of Charité University Children's Hospital in Berlin during 2008. Parents were asked to complete a questionnaire containing basic sociodemographic information, a subjective categorical rating of disease severity and communication with the medical team, and a validated patient satisfaction score (ZUF-8) derived from a customer satisfaction score used by industry and modified for healthcare providers. Results Of the 348 families included in the study, 131 patients (38 %) had a migration background (20 different nationalities, 22 different native languages). Patient satisfaction (rated on a scale from 8 to 40) was significantly higher in families without (32.9±4.6) than in those with a migration background (30.8±4.7; p<0.0001). A multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that trust in doctors, friendliness of the doctor, severity of the child's disease, number of medications prescribed, and a migration background were significantly and independently correlated with patient satisfaction. Conclusions Migrant families were less satisfied with the provision of the outpatient care provided by our department than non-migrants. © 2011 IPNA.

Children parents Migration background healthcare Patient satisfaction

Parents doctor patient relation unemployment Germany Communication health care personnel Outpatients interpersonal communication human language ability priority journal outpatient care Cross-Sectional Studies prescription Humans Trust Adolescent male Emigrants and Immigrants female Infant questionnaire Ambulatory Care Facilities patient satisfaction outpatient department patient assessment scoring system Article Questionnaires major clinical study adult migration Nephrology disease severity health care system Transients and Migrants Child