Client and responder perceptions of a personal emergency response system: Lifeline

A mixed methodology mail survey was used to gauge level of customer satisfaction with, and identify issues that may help improve, personal emergency response system service delivery. A total of 1,236 surveys were mailed out to subscribers of Victoria Lifeline (Canada; n = 618) and their designated responders (n = 618). Overall response rate was 50%. Significant predictors of subscriber and responder satisfaction were satisfaction with the service during an emergency and whether expectations of service were met. In addition, for responders, customer service also predicted satisfaction. Thematic analysis of subscriber and responder comments identified the need for improvement in several areas: equipment, cost of the service, training sessions for users, and communication between subscribers and service providers. Although more than 95% of subscribers and responders were satisfied with the service, the findings provide direction to personal emergency response service providers about ways in which their product and service delivery might be enhanced, and underscore the need for research examining the impacts of response systems on family caregivers and public policy regarding community care solutions.     

Emergency department patient satisfaction: customer service training improves patient satisfaction and ratings of physician and nurse skill

Customer service initiatives in healthcare have become a popular way of attempting to improve patient satisfaction. This study investigates the effect of clinically focused customer service training on patient satisfaction in the setting of a 62,000-visit emergency department and level I trauma center. Analysis of patient complaints, patient compliments, and a statistically verified patient-satisfaction survey indicate that (1) all 14 key quality characteristics identified in the survey increased dramatically in the study period; (2) patient complaints decreased by over 70 percent from 2.6 per 1,000 emergency department (ED) visits to 0.6 per 1,000 ED visits following customer service training; and (3) patient compliments increased more than 100 percent from 1.1 per 1,000 ED visits to 2.3 per 1,000 ED visits. The most dramatic improvement in the patient satisfaction survey came in ratings of skill of the emergency physician, likelihood of returning, skill of the emergency department nurse, and overall satisfaction. These results show that clinically focused customer service training improves patient satisfaction and ratings of physician and nurse skill. They also suggest that such training may offer a substantial competitive market advantage, as well as improve the patients' perception of quality and outcome.     

The doctor on the patient's turf: assessing patient satisfaction with physician home visit programs.

We evaluated a physician home visit program (n = 23 patients) focusing on program implementation and quality. Quality was measured by evaluating patient satisfaction with services using a patient satisfaction scale and interviews with patients, caregivers, and providers. Scale results showed patients expressed the highest satisfaction with access to routine care and physician consideration. Patients expressed less satisfaction with access to emergency care and continuity of care. Physician communication and integration with home- and community-based service providers were other areas of concern. Recommendations include enhancing physician communication skills in the home, providing care for urgent medical conditions, improving chart documentation, and incorporating community-based chronic care experts into the program.     

Patient pain in primary care: factors that influence physician diagnosis

BACKGROUND: The accurate recognition of patient pain is a crucial, but sometimes difficult, task in medical care. This study explored factors related to the physician's diagnosis of pain in primary care patients. METHODS: New adult patients were prospectively randomized to care by primary care providers at a university medical center clinic. Study participants were interviewed prior to the initial visit, and their level of self-reported pain was measured with the Visual Analog Pain Scale and the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36. The medical encounter was videotaped in its entirety and later analyzed using the Davis Observation Code to characterize physician practice style. Patient satisfaction was measured immediately after the visit. A review of the medical record was used to assess physician recognition of patient pain. RESULTS: For all patients (N = 509), as the amount of pain increased, the percentage of patients having pain diagnosed by the physician also increased. Female patients reported a greater amount of pain than male patients. When women were in severe pain, they were more likely than men to have their pain accurately recognized by their physician. The correct diagnosis of pain was not significantly related to patient satisfaction. Physician practice styles emphasizing technically oriented activities and health behavior discussions were strongly predictive of the physician diagnosing patient pain. CONCLUSIONS: The diagnosis of pain is influenced by the severity of patient pain, patient gender, and physician practice style. If the routine use of pain assessment tools is found to be effective in improving physician recognition and treatment of patients' pain, then application of these tools in patient care settings should be encouraged.     

Factors influencing consumers' selection of a primary care physician

There is a growing body of literature regarding patient choice of health care plans, patient satisfaction, and patient evaluation of health care quality, but there is little information concerning the factors that influence the initial selection of a primary care physician (PCP). This exploratory study identifies and conceptualizes the physician selection dimensions which include: physician reputation/manner, physician record, physician search, consumer self-awareness, physician location, physician qualifications, physician demographics, office atmospherics, house calls/insurance, and valuing patient opinion. The study also develops and tests a scale for PCP selection using factor analysis which is demonstrated to be valid, and determines significant differences of variables, which include education level, gender, and age, using a summated scale. The study is of use to physicians in their targeting and communication strategies, and to researchers seeking to refine the scale.     

How Do Patients Choose Physicians? Evidence from a National Survey of Enrollees in Employment‐Related Health Plans

OBJECTIVE: This study examines the process by which patients search for and choose physicians. DATA SOURCE: A survey to a random sample of individuals between the ages of 21 and 64 with employer-related health benefits, drawn from a nationally representative panel of households. STUDY DESIGN: Logit models are used to measure the effect of patient characteristics on the probability of (1) using alternative sources of information to support the choice of a current physician, (2) seriously considering another physician before choosing a current physician, and (3) stating a willingness to switch physicians when information suggests that other health plan doctors receive higher quality ratings. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Although a minority of respondents actively searches for a physician, there appears to be substantial variation in the degree of consumer activism across patient subgroups. Poor health status, higher levels of service use in the past year, and stronger ties to individual physicians are associated with less consumer activism. At the same time, greater levels of consumer activism were found among racial and ethnic minorities, among those who report using information to choose their physicians, and among those who switched physicians as a result of dissatisfaction some time in the past five years. Source of quality information (medical experts versus patient advocates) did not influence stated willingness to switch physicians. CONCLUSIONS: Despite predictions of the increasing importance of consumer choice in shaping the health care delivery system, the results largely confirm the image depicted in the previous literature of patients as passive health care consumers of physician services, and highlight the importance of investments in the development of decision support tools in consumer-driven health care systems.     

Comparison of patient satisfaction with ambulatory visits in competing health care delivery settings in Geneva, Switzerland.

OBJECTIVES: To measure satisfaction with medical visits in various health care settings and to assess the extent to which differences in satisfaction scores between health care settings can be attributed to patients' characteristics. DESIGN: This was a cross sectional survey to measure seven dimensions of patient satisfaction. SETTINGS: Ambulatory visits to 'gatekeepers' or specialists in a newly established managed care organisation, a private group practice, or a university hospital outpatient clinic in Geneva, Switzerland. PATIENTS: There were altogether 1027 adult patients (81% participation rate). RESULTS: Patients who consulted physicians in the private group practice reported higher levels of satisfaction (overall mean 83.2 on a scale between 0 and 100) than university clinic patients (79.7), patients of independent specialists within the managed plan (78.5), and patients of managed plan gatekeepers (69.8, intergroup differences p < 0.001). Differences between settings were reduced after adjustment for sex, age, country of origin, general practitioner versus specialist visit, and scheduled versus urgent visit (adjusted scores: 80.8, 78.8, 77.6, and 72.7 in the four settings, p < 0.001). Intergroup differences were largest for general satisfaction, but small and non-significant for satisfaction with explanations given by the physician and for time spent with the patient. CONCLUSIONS: Patient satisfaction varied widely between health care settings. Differences in satisfaction ratings could be ascribed only partly to disparities in patient populations. Patients of managed plan gatekeepers were least satisfied, presumably because they could not choose their physician freely. Comparison of patient satisfaction across health care settings can provide a basis for targeted quality improvement initiatives.     

A review of the current national status of home parenteral and enteral nutrition from the provider and consumer perspective

Home parenteral and enteral nutrition (HPEN) has grown rapidly in the past decade. By examining data from physician reports, patient surveys, and the infusion industry, this review attempts to delineate the diagnostic indications, age range, mortality, medical complications and rehabilitation potential of HPEN patients. A clear trend exists towards greater use of this expensive therapy in bowel obstructed cancer patients and in pediatric and geriatric age groups. Complications in parenterally fed patients appear to result in a readmission to the hospital, on average, once every 2 yr. Life expectancy depends heavily on the underlying diagnosis: whereas 50% of the patients with a malignancy survive only 6 months, 50% without a malignancy survive beyond 3 yr. Fifty to 60% of HPEN patients are able to work full time or part time, 15 to 20% are retired or of preschool age, and 20 to 30% are unable to work. The home care service options considered most important by patients are the pharmacy premixing of intravenous solutions, home delivery of supplies by the home service carrier, reimbursement management by the home care service and the availability of a nurse for an initial home visit and 24-hr emergency backup. In regard to fiscal concerns one of the difficult issues that should be addressed is the separation of medical coverage from disability status; another is that enteral feedings can sometimes be a less expensive alternative to parenteral feedings but little information exists about the complications and outcome with this modality and its fiscal reimbursement is much less assured.     

Determinants of customer satisfaction with the health care system, with the possibility to choose a personal physician and with a family doctor in a transition country

Many Eastern and Central European counties are reforming their health care systems. The aim of this study was to determine customer satisfaction with a reformed health care system, with the possibility of free choice of a family physician and patient satisfaction with the family physician in Slovenia and their major determinants. We used a postal survey of the patients who attended their family physician's offices during the study period. We obtained an 84% response rate. Some 72.9% of the respondents were satisfied with the current organisation of health care services, 95.5% of the respondents were satisfied with the possibility of choosing their own family physician and 58% of participants were very satisfied with the level of care received from their personal family practitioners. It was shown that higher patient satisfaction with the family physician was the most powerful predictor of patients' satisfaction with the health care system. The results show that health care reform in Slovenia has a positive impact on the consumers' perceptions of health care quality, measured in terms of consumer satisfaction with the health care system, the possibility to choose a family physician and the overall satisfaction with the family physician.     

Factors Influencing Consumers' Selection of a Primary Care Physician

Abstract

There is a growing body of literature regarding patient choice of health care plans, patient satisfaction, and patient evaluation of health care quality, but there is little information concerning the factors that influence the initial selection of a primary care physician (PCP). This exploratory study identifies and conceptualizes the physician selection dimensions which include: physician reputation/manner, physician record, physician search, consumer self-awareness, physician location, physician qualifications, physician demographics, office atmospherics, house calls/insurance, and valuing patient opinion. The study also develops and tests a scale for PCP selection using factor analysis which is demonstrated to be valid, and determines significant differences of variables, which include education level, gender, and age, using a summated scale. The study is of use to physicians in their targeting and communication strategies, and to researchers seeking to refine the scale.     

Patient satisfaction survey in emergency departments in acute care hospitals

OBJECTIVE: To describe patient satisfaction with emergency care of different hospitals. METHODS: patients attended in emergency departments of nine acute hospitals. A patient satisfaction questionnaire was used which includes relevant areas for patients and emergency departments workers 1,940 patients were selected to be surveyed by phone, by previously trained interviewers. RESULTS: 1, 423 patients were interviewed. They reported that mean waiting time until were seeing by the physician ranged from 20 to 60 minutes and total time at the emergency room from 60 to 170 minutes. Interviewees negative ratings for both were of 38% and 36% respectively. Information given about the problem of the patient was negatively rated by 6 to 17%, and about the treatment to follow by 8 to 16% of them. 5% referred not getting information on the latest. Up to 30% of patients said not were clearly informed of the results of the test performed Interpersonal care was positively rated in 55% of cases in some hospitals. Global evaluation gave positive ratings of 58% and negatives of 14%. CONCLUSIONS: This survey detect significant differences among all the centers in the study. Waiting time area showed the greater differences among them. Also the worst qualifications, followed by information to patient. Patient satisfaction questionnaires may work as aid in detecting health care problems.     

Continuous quality improvement as an ideal in hospital practice

Continuous quality improvement (CQI) is an important part of successfully managing change in health care. This article describes a CQI plan and process created to develop a comprehensive plan for a rapidly evolving organization. Four key components of the planning process are described: initial initiatives, customer service orientation, teamwork approach, and physician involvement. A case study is also included to illustrate how one CQI plan and process was implemented and evaluated.     

Factors determining inpatient satisfaction with care

The objective of the study was to identify factors associated with satisfaction among inpatients receiving medical and surgical care for cardiovascular, respiratory, urinary and locomotor system diseases. Two weeks after discharge, 533 patients completed a Patient Judgments Hospital Quality questionnaire covering seven dimensions of satisfaction (admission, nursing and daily care, medical care, information, hospital environment and ancillary staff, overall quality of care and services, recommendations/intentions). Patient satisfaction and complaints were treated as dependent variables in multivariate ordinal polychotomous and dichotomous logistic stepwise regressions, respectively. Patient sociodemographic, health and stay characteristics as well as organization/ activity of service were used as independent variables. The two strongest predictors of satisfaction for all dimensions were older age and better self-perceived health status at admission. Men tended to be more satisfied than women. Other predictors specific for certain dimensions of satisfaction were: married, Karnofsky index more than 70, critical/serious self-reported condition at admission, emergency admission, choice of hospital by her/himself, stay in a medical service, stay in a private room, length of stay less than one week, stay in a service with a mean length of stay longer than one week. The factors associated with inpatient satisfaction elucidated in this study may be helpful in interpreting patient satisfaction scores when comparing hospitals, services or time periods, in targeting patient groups at risk of worse experiences and in focusing care quality programs.     

Telemedicine in the emergency department: a randomized controlled trial.

Emergency physicians and nurses were trained in telemedicine techniques in two emergency departments, one rural (low volume) and one suburban (high volume). Fifteen patient complaints were selected as appropriate for the study. Of 122 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 104 (85%) consented to participate. They were randomized to control and experimental groups. The suburban emergency physician diagnosed and treated the control patients. Experimental patients presenting to the high-volume emergency department were evaluated and treated by the telemedicine nurse in person and the rural emergency physician via the telemedicine link. Immediately before discharge all telemedicine patients were re-evaluated by the suburban emergency physician. Data collected on each patient included: diagnosis; treatment; 72 h return visits; need for additional care; and satisfaction of patient, physicians and nurses. There were no significant differences (P > 0.05) for occurrence of 72 h return visits, need for additional care or overall patient satisfaction. The average patient throughput time (from admission to discharge) was 106 min for the telemedicine group and 117 min for the control group. Telemedicine was a satisfactory technique for the chosen group of patients in the emergency department and was acceptable to the participants.     

A randomized controlled study of a home health care team.

This report describes the findings of a randomized study of a new team approach to home care for homebound chronically or terminally ill elderly. The team includes a physician, nurse practitioner, and social worker delivering primary health care in the patient's home, including physician house calls. Weekly team conferences assure coordination of patient care. The team is available for emergency consultation through a 24-hour telephone service. The team physician attends to the patient during necessary hospitalizations. This approach was evaluated in a randomized experimental design study measuring its impact on health care utilization, functional changes in patients, and patient and caretaker satisfaction. The team patients had fewer hospitalizations, nursing home admissions, and outpatient visits than the controls. They were more often able to die at home, if this was their wish. As expected, they used more in-home services, measured in weighted cost figures; their overall cost was lower than their controls, but the difference was not statistically significant. Their functional abilities did not change differently from the controls, but they, and especially their informal caretakers in the home, expressed significantly higher satisfaction with the care received.     

The relationship of physician medical interview style to patient satisfaction

The results of previous studies on the relationship between patient satisfaction and specific interviewing behaviors have been difficult to generalize because most studies have examined small samples of patients at one clinical location, and have used initial or acute care visits where the patient and physician did not have an established relationship. The present collaborative study of medical interviewing provided an opportunity to collect interviews from 550 return visits to 127 different physicians at 11 sites across the country. Tape recordings were analyzed using the Roter Interaction Analysis System, and postvisit satisfaction questionnaires were administered to patients. A number of significant relationships were found between communication during the visit and the various dimensions of patient satisfaction. Physician question asking about biomedical topics (both open- and closed-ended questions) was negatively related to patient satisfaction; however, physician question asking about psychosocial topics was positively related. Physician counseling for psychosocial issues was also positively related to patient satisfaction. Similarly, patient talk about biomedical topics was negatively related to satisfaction, while patient talk regarding psychosocial topics was positively related. Furthermore, patients were less satisfied when physicians dominated the interview by talking more or when the emotional tone was characterized by physician dominance. The findings suggest that patients are most satisfied by interviews that encourage them to talk about psychosocial issues in an atmosphere that is characterized by the absence of physician domination.     

The role of understanding customer expectations in aged care

PURPOSE: The purpose of this paper is to argue that understanding and exceeding customer expectations in the aged care services is more complex than other health services and general services because of the multiple stakeholders and additional intimacies that exist. DESIGN/METHOD/APPROACH: The author first explores expectation theory and how it links to customer behaviour and then discusses confirmation/disconfirmation theory. FINDINGS: The author builds an argument that aged care service providers must understand consumer needs and expectations so that customer satisfaction is generated. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: Exploring patient and relative expectation and satisfaction in different theoretical contexts.     

Improving customer satisfaction and quality: hospitals recognized by J.D. power and associates share insights on meeting patient and employee needs

For 35 years, J.D. Power and Associates has presented its much-coveted awards recognizing product and service quality and customer satisfaction in a variety of industries. This year, the company added a new category: hospitals. To better understand patients' reactions to their hospital experiences, the company looked at five key drivers of customer satisfaction: dignity and respect, speed and efficiency, comfort, information and communication, and emotional support. This issue looks at five hospitals recognized by the company for their service excellence and why they emphasize employee satisfaction as well as patient satisfaction.     

Visit-specific expectations and patient-centered outcomes: a literature review

BACKGROUND: Primary care patients often have certain expectations when visiting physicians, many of which may be undetected. These unmet expectations can affect outcomes such as satisfaction with care. We performed a formal literature review to examine the effect of fulfillment of patients' visit-specific expectations on their satisfaction as well as on health status and compliance. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Included studies were conducted in primary care settings, systematically recruited patients, elicited previsit and/or postvisit expectations relative to specific visits, and measured patient-centered outcomes. Two reviewers abstracted information on study characteristics; types, timing, and method of expectation ascertainment; and outcomes. Disagreements were resolved by consensus. RESULTS: Twenty-three studies were reviewed including 7 trials, 4 cohort studies, and 12 cross-sectional studies. Patients frequently expected information rather than specific physician actions, but physicians often did not accurately perceive patients' visit-specific expectations. In 19 studies that assessed postvisit patient satisfaction, a positive association between meeting patient expectations and overall satisfaction was demonstrated in 11 studies, inconclusive in 3, and not established in 5. In 2 studies assessing physician satisfaction, physicians with access to patients' expectations were more satisfied than those without access. Other outcomes (symptom or disease improvement, health status, test ordering, health care costs, psychological symptoms) were measured in only a few studies, and the results were inconclusive. CONCLUSIONS: Addressing patients' visit-specific expectations appears to affect satisfaction to a modest degree. Future studies should evaluate methods that efficiently elicit, prioritize, and provide patients' previsit expectations for physicians and should examine the longitudinal effect of expectation fulfillment on patient outcomes. Arch Fam Med. 2000;9:1148-1155     

Health sector accreditation research: a systematic review.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify and analyze research into accreditation and accreditation processes. DATA SOURCES: A multi-method, systematic review of the accreditation literature was conducted from March to May 2007. The search identified articles researching accreditation. Discussion or commentary pieces were excluded. STUDY SELECTION: From the initial identification of over 3000 abstracts, 66 studies that met the search criteria by empirically examining accreditation were selected. DATA EXTRACTION AND RESULTS OF DATA SYNTHESIS: The 66 studies were retrieved and analyzed. The results, examining the impact or effectiveness of accreditation, were classified into 10 categories: professions' attitudes to accreditation, promote change, organizational impact, financial impact, quality measures, program assessment, consumer views or patient satisfaction, public disclosure, professional development and surveyor issues. RESULTS: The analysis reveals a complex picture. In two categories consistent findings were recorded: promote change and professional development. Inconsistent findings were identified in five categories: professions' attitudes to accreditation, organizational impact, financial impact, quality measures and program assessment. The remaining three categories-consumer views or patient satisfaction, public disclosure and surveyor issues-did not have sufficient studies to draw any conclusion. The search identified a number of national health care accreditation organizations engaged in research activities. CONCLUSION: The health care accreditation industry appears to be purposefully moving towards constructing the evidence to ground our understanding of accreditation.