Patient experience and nurse staffing level in South Korea.

This article examines the association between hospital nurse staffing levels and patient experience in South Korea, using data from the 2019 Patient Experience Assessment (PXA) conducted by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA). The study analyzed responses from 23,485 patients across 151 general hospitals, categorizing patient experience items into domains directly or indirectly related to nurse staffing. Results indicate a clear positive correlation between higher Nurse Staffing Grades (NSG)—a measure used by the National Health Insurance to adjust hospital reimbursement—and better patient experience, particularly in the Nurse domain. While associations were also observed in other domains, some findings suggest potential confounding factors, highlighting challenges in establishing causality. The study underscores the importance of addressing nurse staffing levels alongside ongoing patient experience measurement and reporting initiatives to improve healthcare quality in South Korea.