Patient Experiences of Hospital Care in South Korea in Three Biennial National Surveys from 2017 to 2021 Running Title: Patient Experiences in Korea

Objective To evaluate hospital care quality from patients' perspectives and identify individual and institutional factors influencing patients’ experiences, with policy implications for hospital workforce planning in South Korea. Study Design: Cross-sectional study Methods We analyzed data from the Korean National Patient Experience Survey (KNPES) administered in 2017, 2019, and 2021, targeting patients aged ≥ 20 years discharged from 601 hospitals. The 24-item survey assessed five domains: physicians, nurses, treatment process, hospital environment, and patient rights. Composite scores were computed. Multiple regression analysis identified demographic and institutional predictors. Results Responses were obtained from 14,970 (2017), 23,924 (2019), and 58,258 (2021) patients (mean age: 56.3 ± 15.3 years; 50.2% male). The overall composite score was 83.94 ± 15.98. Nurse communication consistently received the highest ratings, while patient rights received the lowest. Factors significantly associated with higher patient experience scores included younger age, higher education, Medical Aid enrollment, treatment in internal medicine, secondary hospital status, and higher nurse staffing levels. Conclusions Nurse staffing levels exhibited the strongest association with positive patient experiences. These findings underscore the importance of nurse workforce policies in improving care quality and patient-centered outcomes.