Eureka! Institutional Repository

Patient organizations have been striving to establish an identity since the last century. Patients’ and citizens’ involvement in collectivities is increasingly growing on a global scale. In recent years’ patient organizations have been accommodated by patient federations in order to gain empowerment and achieve their goals. But do the activities of patient organizations have meaning for the patient and society in general? Practically, does the patient get any assistance from such organizations? Patient empowerment can be achieved through person-to-person contact of patients who experience the same disease and share their experience. Should the government financially support the organizations? The quality of the services provided is one of the major criteria of healthcare systems. Patient satisfaction is a significant indicator of service quality at a healthcare organization. The aim of this study is to investigate patient satisfaction with consulting services provided by patient organizations in Northern Greece. A questionnaire has been used as a tool to understand the extent of patient satisfaction, structured and based upon similar studies. The sample of the study population consists of 149 patients, who are registered members of (6) six patient organizations in Northern Greece that agreed to participate in this study. The participants seem somewhat satisfied with the services provided by their organization. Most of the participants agreed on the important role that their organization play for society and wish for more educational seminars, more frequent person-to-person contact with other members of their organization as well as government financial support