The Impact of Staff Empathy and Emotional Intelligence on Patient Satisfaction: A Study of Healthcare Quality in Rural Rajasthan

Abstract

Patient satisfaction is very important to measure the quality of healthcare, especially in areas with limited resources. This study looks at how healthcare workers' empathy and emotional intelligence affect patient satisfaction in rural health centers in Rajasthan. A study was conducted with 200 patients and 50 healthcare staff members from 10 primary health centers in rural Rajasthan. Patients were surveyed using the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire (PSQ-18) and the Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) Measure. Healthcare staff completed the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS). Pearson's correlation and multiple regression analyses were performed to examine relationships between variables. A strong positive correlation was found between perceived staff empathy and patient satisfaction (r = 0.72, p<0.001). Staff emotional intelligence was a significant predictor of patient-reported empathy (β=0.65, p<0.001). The relationship between empathy and satisfaction was stronger among female patients (r=0.78, p<0.001) compared to male patients (r = 0.65, p<0.001) and among patients with lower education levels (r = 0.80, p < 0.001) compared to those with higher education levels (r = 0.68, p < 0.001). This study provides evidence for the significant impact of staff empathy and emotional intelligence on patient satisfaction in rural healthcare settings. These findings suggest that enhancing emotional intelligence and empathy among healthcare staff could significantly improve patient satisfaction and potentially lead to better health outcomes in rural India.