Abstract
Introduction: Patient satisfaction is a key indicator of the quality of healthcare services and plays a significant role in improving clinical outcomes, increasing patient adherence to treatment, and enhancing the performance of healthcare centers. However, achieving this goal represents numerous challenges. Given the diversity and breadth of factors influencing patient satisfaction, this review aimed to examine two of the most important challenges.
Methods: This systematic review involved searching reputable domestic and international scientific databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, MagIran, and SID, from 2014 to 2024. Overall, 31 out of the 201 initially identified studies were selected for data extraction and analysis.
Results: Two major challenges affecting patient satisfaction were identified: communication-related challenges, including ineffective interactions between healthcare providers and patients, limited communication skills, and time constraints in communicating with patients; and challenges related to patients’ demographic and cultural characteristics, consisting of educational level, health literacy, age, and cultural, linguistic, and racial differences.
Conclusion: Given the important role of patient satisfaction in treatment outcomes and healthcare system productivity, addressing existing challenges is essential to ensure the quality and efficiency of healthcare services. Coordinated and integrated efforts across all components of the healthcare system can help create a supportive environment for patient recovery, improve satisfaction, and consequently enhance patients’ quality of life.