Satisfaction: A Concept Based on Functionality and Quality of Life to Be Integrated in a Nursing Care Performance System

Objective: The main objective of this research was to operationalize a nursing sensitive outcome, designated as Satisfaction, using a set of indicators sensitive to various aspects of the nursing care: (i) Functional capacity assessment (Functionality), which is considered an important indicator for elderly people's health and should be used to provide a robust data infrastructure on functioning and disability, allowing for national and international comparisons; (ii) Quality of Life assessment, which is another important health indicator that is strongly recommended by World Health Organization, as it includes multiple domains of functioning and well-being that are extraordinarily important in the assessment of health outcomes. Methods: Cross-sectional, descriptive study, with a final sample totaled 351 elderlies. Data collected by health professionals in the participants' houses, using a core set composed of items belonging to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health and by the WHOQOL-BREF instrument. Structural equation modeling was the statistical methodology adopted. Results: The developed model presents favorable factorial validity and reliability, which allows to infer about the existence of an empirical strong relationship between both the Functionality and QoL theoretical models with Satisfaction. Conclusions: Both Functionality and QoL are determinants of Satisfaction, even though Satisfaction manifests itself with greater importance in QoL, rather than in Functionality.