Employees' satisfaction with provided health care services

The purpose of this descriptive study was to assess employees' satisfaction with health care services provided at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The study determined what employees' attitudes were about corporate health care services as compared by gender, race, length of employment, payroll status, age, usage, reason for visit, and benefit. The study population consisted of employees (N=390) at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory who utilized medical services provided by the Health Division during the first two weeks of October 1996. A health care services satisfaction Likert-type scale was constructed and validated before being administered to the employees. The data provided by the scale were combined into two sets of categorical variables: the structure (health care services provided) and process (personal treatment extended) by the Health Division. The first seven questions elicited data related to the satisfaction of health care services provided by the Health Division. Questions #8 through 17 elicited data related to the personal treatment extended by Health Division personnel. Questions #18 through 21 elicited data that could be used to determine what relationship existed between employees' attitudes about the health care services identified in the first 17 questions when compared by gender, race, length of employment, payroll status, age groups, usage, reason for visit, and benefit. Question #22 allowed employees to express an overall satisfaction level with Health Division services. All participants were administered the same scale and the results were analyzed by using descriptive statistics. The following major conclusions were reached as a result of the research:

1. All employee subgroups (gender, length of employment, payroll status, age, usage, reason for visit) showed overall satisfaction with provided health care services, with the exception of race and fringe benefit groups which differed significantly.

2. The number of times employees visited the Health Division during the past year did not bring about a significant difference in the levels of satisfaction among the groups in the category usage.

3. The majority (94 percent) of employees in the study viewed Health Division services as a fringe benefit. It is apparent that employees who did not view the services as a fringe benefit had differing views from the majority of employees, and those views were significantly different only with respect to overall satisfaction.

4. Employees did not exhibit a significant difference among the reasons for visiting the Health Division (physical, allergy shots, return to work, work- related injury, illness, off-the-job injury, and other).

Recommendations made:

1. Because this study was a sample of convenience and appeared to mimic the general population of the Laboratory, it should be replicated to allow all employees who utilize Health Division services an opportunity to participate. This could be accomplished by mailing the Health Care Satisfaction Scale to all employees at their home addresses.

2. A separate study should be conducted to determine why Caucasians and minorities differed significantly on the levels of satisfaction for structure and overall satisfaction.

3. This study has provided a brief insight into employees' attitudes toward provided health care services and should be continued at the Laboratory at least on an annual basis.

4. A small percent (5 percent) of the employees commented in some form that they did not know what services were available or the extent to which they could utilize services offered by the Health Division. Based on this, albeit a small percent, a more effective means of communication between the Health Division and employees could be established.