Abstract:
Guided by the communication privacy management theory (CPM), the overarching goal of
this study was to examine the extent to which perceived privacy influences patient satisfaction
among students at a Kenyan university and at a large Midwestern university. Data were
collected using surveys with 349 Kenyan students and 420 U.S. students, recruited using
convenience sampling. Privacy was measured using a multidimensional Likert privacy scale,
while patient satisfaction was measured using a patient satisfaction scale. Data were analyzed
using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, multiple linear regression, two-way MANOVA,
and moderation analysis. The results revealed that all three types of privacy (psychological,
physical, and informational) had a strong positive correlation with patient satisfaction.
Perceived privacy predicted perceived patient satisfaction, and men and women did not have
different concerns for privacy. Participant country moderated the relationship between privacy
and patient satisfaction. These results suggest that physicians and hospitals should
emphasize effective patient privacy in spaces where medical interactions occur.
