| Summary: | The aim of this article was to determine which key indicators influence patient satisfaction
with the Spanish NHS to provide useful information for policy decision-making. A total of 33 variables
for each of the 17 Spanish autonomous communities were collected from the statistical portal of the
Spanish Ministry of Health, Social Services, and Equality between 2005 and 2016. A cross-sectional
study was applied using Partial Least Squares to a Structural Equation Model (PLS-SEM). The influence
of expenditures, resource allocation, and safety were hypothesized about patient satisfaction.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and life expectancy were used as control variables. Moreover,
the influence of resource allocation on use was tested. The model explained 57.1% of patient
satisfaction with the Spanish NHS. It was positively influenced mainly by resource allocation and
expenditures, followed by safety and life expectancy. Additionally, resources directly influenced the
level of use. The number of hospital beds, hemodialysis equipment, rate of adverse drug reactions,
and expenditure positively influenced patient satisfaction. In contrast, the number of posts in day
hospitals, the hospital infection rate, and the percentage of pharmacy spending negatively influenced
patient satisfaction.
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