Abstract
Objectives. To establish whether patients' demographic characteristics, including the education level and gender, affect their opinions on the provided health care quality (i.e. the conditions and ways of medical services provision).
Method. The study on evaluation of psychiatric services quality was carried out in inpatient settings in a Warsaw public mental hospital in 2006. All the admitted inpatients (N = 2.937) were asked to fill out a 51-item questionnaire on their discharge from the hospital. Participation in the study was entirely anonymous. Due to missing data, only 808 questionnaires (out of the 1.045 received) were included in the analysis.
Results. The respondents' education level differentiated their opinions about the quality of services provided. Those with a university education were most disapproving in their assessment. As regards gender - women were more critical than men. Significant differences of opinion were noted in respect of the staff availability and information provided.
Conclusions. In order to improve the quality of mental health services consideration should be given first andforemost to opinions of the most critical patient groups. In further research the respondents' demographic characteristics should be taken into account. From both the methodological and practical point of view it is necessary to constantly bear in mind the differentiation of patients' opinions related to their education level.