Patient satisfaction evaluations in different clinic care models: Care stratification under a national demonstration project

Primary Community Care Networks (PCCNs) were the product of primary care health reform in Taiwan. Under the PCCN intervened nationwide as a demonstration project, there were three types of service contexts for clinic patients: (1) member patients in PCCN clinics; (2) non-member patients in PCCN clinics; and (3) patients in non-PCCN clinics. A multi-site, cross-sectional validated survey of 3143 outpatients receiving care in clinics was conducted to investigate quality of care delivered to these three distinct clinic patients. It revealed that member patients indicated a higher level of satisfaction with the care quality of several physician–patient relationships and an increased willingness to recommend their clinics over non-member patients in PCCN clinics. However, no differences were found in the care quality evaluation measures between PCCN member patients and non-PCCN patients. Health policy implications were discussed for primary health reforms in clinic service contexts in this study.