Physicians' perceptions of autonomy and satisfaction in California.

This study compares levels of satisfaction and autonomy among California physicians using data from a 1991 survey of physicians and a 1996 survey of California physicians. The surveys measured physicians' perceived freedom to undertake eight common activities that may be threatened by marketplace changes, satisfaction with current practice, and inclination to attend medical school again. Young physicians in 1996 were significantly less likely to report that they were able to spend enough time on the eight identified patient-care activities. They also were significantly less satisfied with their current practice and less likely to say that they would go to medical school again. Satisfaction also declined for older physicians between 1991 and 1996.     

Physician, practice, and patient characteristics related to primary care physician physical and mental health: results from the Physician Worklife Study

OBJECTIVE: To study the impact that physician, practice, and patient characteristics have on physician stress, satisfaction, mental, and physical health. DATA SOURCES: Based on a survey of over 5,000 physicians nationwide. Four waves of surveys resulted in 2,325 complete responses. Elimination of ineligibles yielded a 52 percent response rate; 1,411 responses from primary care physicians were used. STUDY DESIGN: A conceptual model was tested by structural equation modeling. Physician job satisfaction and stress mediated the relationship between physician, practice, and patient characteristics as independent variables and physician physical and mental health as dependent variables. PRINCIPLE FINDINGS: The conceptual model was generally supported. Practice and, to a lesser extent, physician characteristics influenced job satisfaction, whereas only practice characteristics influenced job stress. Patient characteristics exerted little influence. Job stress powerfully influenced job satisfaction and physical and mental health among physicians. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support the notion that workplace conditions are a major determinant of physician well-being. Poor practice conditions can result in poor outcomes, which can erode quality of care and prove costly to the physician and health care organization. Fortunately, these conditions are manageable. Organizational settings that are both "physician friendly" and "family friendly" seem to result in greater well-being. These findings are particularly important as physicians are more tightly integrated into the health care system that may be less clearly under their exclusive control.     

Predicting Health Plan Member Retention from Satisfaction Surveys: The Moderating Role of Intention and Complaint Voicing

Many health plans have tried to increase member retention by improving their scores on customer satisfaction surveys. However, prior research has demonstrated weak relationships between member satisfaction and retention, suggesting that other variables are needed to understand how satisfaction impacts member retention. In a longitudinal study 4,806 health plan members who completed satisfaction surveys were re-assessed three years later; we compared measures of satisfaction, intention, and complaining behavior from voluntary disenrollees and retained members. The relationship between satisfaction and retention was moderated by members' intentions to disenroll. The findings suggest that health plans can enhance the predictive validity of their satisfaction surveys by including measures of both satisfaction and intentions.     

Care Coordination for Children with Special Health Care Needs: Evaluation of a State Experiment

Care coordination (CC), a component of the medical home, may aid families who have children with special health care needs (CSHCN). Few data link CC to individual patient outcomes. To compare parent-reported outcomes for CSHCN receiving practice-based care coordination with those receiving standard care. This cross-sectional study examined two groups of CSHCN: one that received the services of a care coordinator for a year and one that did not. Parental surveys assessed: access to medical care, practice help and support, satisfaction with services, and parental mental and physical health. Associations between group status and parent-reported outcomes were assessed via regression analyses controlling for sociodemographic and health status variables. We also examined whether CC households who reported higher satisfaction with care had higher scores in the four domains. Parents in the care coordination group reported higher utilization of both primary care and specialist physicians, but did not report better practice help and support, better satisfaction with care, or better overall parental health. Parents in the care coordination group who reported being satisfied with their care rated their PCPs as more helpful than did the comparison families. Parents in this subgroup also reported significantly higher levels of care coordination than did parents in the comparison group. CSHCN appear to have higher PCP and specialist utilization when they receive supplemental care coordination. Additionally, those who are more satisfied with the care coordination they receive are happier with the assistance from their PCP and the overall care coordination provided.     

Consumer satisfaction with occupational health services: should it be measured?

OBJECTIVES—To find answers in the literature to the questions if, why, and how consumer satisfaction with occupational health services (OHSs) should be measured.
METHODS—Publications about the concept of consumer satisfaction with health care and surveys of consumer satisfaction with occupational health care were reviewed.
RESULTS—For care providers, surveys of consumer satisfaction can be useful to improve quality or as indicators of non-compliant behaviour among patients. For clients, satisfaction surveys can be helpful for choosing between healthcare providers. Satisfaction is made up of an affective component of evaluation and a cognitive component of expectations. Also, in occupational health care, patient satisfaction is measured by dimensions such as the humanness and competence of the care provider similar to health care in general. However, there are dimensions that are specific to occupational health—such as the perceived independence of the physician, unclear reasons for visiting an OHS, and the perceived extent of knowledge of OHS professionals about the patient's working conditions. Dimensions of client satisfaction are mostly similar to patient satisfaction but include more businesslike aspects. They are different for the two groups of client, employers and employees. To measure consumer satisfaction in occupational healthcare specific questionnaires must be constructed. To achieve the highest possible reader satisfaction guidelines are provided for construction of a questionnaire.
CONCLUSIONS—Consumer satisfaction is a complex theoretical concept, but it is relatively easy to measure in practice and can be a valuable tool for quality improvement. Consumers' evaluations of occupational health services will become increasingly important due to changes in the organisation of occupational health care. Occupational healthcare providers are encouraged to measure the consumer satisfaction of their services.


Keywords: consumer satisfaction; occupational health services     

The Primary Care Physician Workforce in Massachusetts: Implications for the Workforce in Rural,Small Town America

ABSTRACT: Context: Small towns across the United States struggle to maintain an adequate primary care workforce. Purpose: To examine factors contributing to physician satisfaction and retention in largely rural areas in Massachusetts, a state with rural pockets and small towns. Methods: A survey mailed in 2004‐2005 to primary care physicians, practicing in areas designated by the state as rural, queried respondents about personal and practice characteristics as well as workforce concerns. Predictors of satisfaction and likelihood of remaining in current or rural practice somewhere were assessed. Findings: Of 227 eligible physicians, 160 returned their surveys (response rate, 70.5%). Approximately one third (34.0%) reported they had grown up in communities of 100,000 or larger. Factors associated with higher overall practice satisfaction included not feeling overworked (P = .043) or professionally isolated (P = .004), and being involved in their practice (P = .045) and home communities (P = .036) as well as ease of seeking additional physicians for practice and obtaining CME credits (P = .014 and P = .017, respectively). Female physicians were more likely to report an intention to remain in rural practice somewhere for the next decade (P = .034). In rating their satisfaction with various aspects of the rural practice environment, physicians reported greatest satisfaction with their practice overall (67%) and their call group size (66%). They were least satisfied with their current (30%) and likely future income (40%). In multivariate analyses, larger practice community size was positively related to the dependent variable of overall satisfaction and negatively related to likelihood of staying in current practice or in rural practice somewhere. Conclusions: Our findings reaffirm the importance of rural medical education opportunities in physician recruitment, retention, and practice satisfaction. They also indicate that in a small New England state, a major source of physicians for rural and small town communities is physicians who have been raised in urban/suburban communities and who were trained outside of the region but who were prepared to live and to practice in rural and small town communities.     

Parents’ Global Rating of Mental Health Correlates with SF-36 Scores and Health Services Satisfaction

Background Patient satisfaction surveys are often used to measure quality of care. However, patient satisfaction may not be a reliable indicator of service quality because satisfaction can be influenced by clients’ characteristics such as their health status.Methods Parents of children attending a pediatric neurology clinic completed the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) and global ratings of their physical and mental health. They also completed the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ), the Measure of Processes of Care (MPOC), and the Family-Centered Care Survey (FCCS).Results 104 parents completed the survey. The correlation between the global rating of physical or mental health and their corresponding SF-36 scores was high. The majority (88%) of parents were satisfied, with a median CSQ score of 28 (IQR, 24 to 31) and a FCCS score of 4.7 (IQR, 4.2 to 4.9). Logistic regression identified parents’ mental health as a significant predictor of client satisfaction (OR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.14).Conclusions Given the positive association between parents’ mental health and satisfaction with care, it is important to consider mental status as a covariate in interpreting satisfaction surveys. Parents’ global rating of mental health appears to be a reasonable indicator of their SF-36 mental scores.     

A study of job satisfaction of nursing and allied health graduates from a Mid-Atlantic university

There have been numerous changes in the health care system, including cost-containment efforts, the increased growth of managed care, and shortages of many health professionals. It is important to assess the impact these changes are having on the quality of health care delivery and the way various health professionals view their jobs. To accomplish this assessment, a sample of experienced nursing and allied health professionals were asked to provide their assessment of positive and negative changes in the health system over a 5-year period. They also were asked to indicate their level of satisfaction with their profession, their current job, and various aspects of that job. A Health Care Environment Survey was mailed to six groups of graduates of a mid-Atlantic college of health professions. Three of the groups had been in practice for 5 years, and three of the groups had been in practice for 10 years. The survey asked respondents to assess the magnitude of certain changes in the health system over the previous 5 years and to provide an assessment of their satisfaction with their current job. A total of 1,610 surveys were mailed, and 787 were returned for a rate of 49%. Nursing and allied health professionals who responded to the survey reported that there have been many more negative than positive changes in the health care system, including less job security, efficiency, and time available to spend with individual patients and increases in workload, paperwork, and control of health care by insurance companies. Even with these negative changes, nurses and allied health professionals report a high level of satisfaction with their jobs. In investigating the aspects of their jobs that were most related to satisfaction, having a feeling of worthwhile accomplishment from their job, opportunities for personal and professional growth, recognition and satisfaction with their workload were found to be the best predictors of job satisfaction.     

Patient satisfaction surveys: an opportunity for total quality improvement

To identify deficiencies in the design and administration of patient satisfaction surveys and their actual use in institutional quality assurance programs we analyzed the survey instruments and practices of five teaching hospitals, three community hospitals, and two health maintenance organizations. There is a considerable gap between the content of many patient satisfaction surveys and what prior research has indicated to be important determinants of patient satisfaction. Often insufficient attention is directed to patient satisfaction with technical competence, outcomes, continuity, or patient expectations, and nonsystematic approaches and weak methodologies similarly limit the value of many patient surveys and inhibit their use in total quality improvement efforts.     

Comparison of three visit-specific patient satisfaction instruments: reliability and validity measures and the effect of four methods of data collection on dimensions of patient satisfaction

The purposes of this study were to evaluate the reliability and validity of three short-form patient satisfaction instruments and to examine the effects of data collection methods on patient satisfaction ratings. With a framework to assess quality of care from the patient's perspective, acceptability, accessibility, patient satisfaction rating, provider recommendation, and patient demographic data were collected using three patient surveys: the Health Outcomes Institute questionnaire (HOI); the Nalle Clinic survey (Nalle); and a commercially marketed survey (COM). The four methods of data collection were (1) receptionist-distributed at check-in, (2) student-distributed at check-out, (3) mail, and (4) phone. Data were collected on a systematically selected sample of 1,840 patients who were appointed in two family practice departments of the Nalle Clinic in Charlotte, North Carolina. From the 925 completed surveys, the results indicated that the HOI instrument scored higher on the reliability and validity measures in this patient sample than the Nalle or COM surveys. Analysis of variance was then conducted on the HOI scores across the four methods of data collection. The conclusion was that the method of data collection did not significantly influence any of the patient satisfaction indicators in the family practice sample.     

Medicaid beneficiaries under managed care: provider choice and satisfaction.

This study describes patterns of choosing a provider and of consumer satisfaction among prepaid Medicaid beneficiaries in Monroe County, New York, and compares their level of satisfaction to that of fee-for-service Medicaid beneficiaries. Two interview surveys were conducted with AFDC and HR (general assistance) Medicaid eligibles, the first under the fee-for-service system servicing the Medicaid population, and the second 18 months after the introduction of a mandatory, prepaid managed care system for Medicaid beneficiaries. The results show significant ethnic differences in patient choice of provider and provider site. Given the choice, Medicaid beneficiaries switch from clinics as their usual source of care to private physician practice. Under prepayment, white Medicaid beneficiaries tripled their affiliations with private doctors, while "others" doubled theirs. The results also demonstrate higher levels of patient satisfaction with "humaneness of doctors" and with "quality of care" among those beneficiaries under prepaid care, than previously documented for those under fee-for-service. The evaluations of humaneness and quality of medical system may reflect the respondents' perceptions that the process of receiving care under prepaid, managed care is somehow different, no longer second class, and better that it was under the fee-for-service Medicaid.     

Inpatient and ambulatory patient satisfaction with nursing care

This study reports on the development and psychometric testing of inpatient and ambulatory patient satisfaction scales designed to measure patient satisfaction using the standards of nursing practice within a medical center. The surveys were administered to patients 4-6 weeks after discharge from the hospital or following a clinic visit. A total of 619 inpatient and 955 ambulatory patient questionnaires were analyzed. Factor analyses suggest there exist four scales for inpatient satisfaction anf five scales for outpatient satisfaction with high reliability and reasonable validity.     

Perception and use of the results of patient satisfaction surveys by care providers in a French teaching hospital.

OBJECTIVE: . The aim of this study was to assess clinical staff's opinions on the results of in-patient satisfaction surveys and their use within the quality improvement process. SETTING: The institution is a 2200-bed teaching hospital of tertiary health care employing 8000 professionals. Patient satisfaction surveys are carried out each year using a validated questionnaire mailed to a random sample of patients. The specific results of each department are sent to the medical and paramedical managers. METHODS: We conducted a questionnaire survey on 500 care providers randomly selected in every medical and surgical department. RESULTS: A total of 261 questionnaires were returned and analysed. Overall, 94% of responders had a favourable opinion of the patient satisfaction surveys. They considered that the patient was able to judge hospital service quality, especially in its relational, organizational, and environmental dimensions. The specific results for the department were less well known than the overall hospital results (60 versus 76%). These results were formally discussed in the department according to 40% of responders; 40% declared that these data resulted in improvement actions and considered that they led to modifications in their behaviour with patients. CONCLUSIONS: Despite a declared interest in satisfaction surveys, the results remain underused by hospital staff and insufficiently discussed within teams.     

How does the culture of medical group practices influence the types of programs used to assure quality of care?

OBJECTIVE: It is widely acknowledged that the culture of medical group practices greatly influences the quality of care, but little is known about how cultures are translated into specific types of programs focused on quality. This study explores this issue by assessing the influence of the organizational culture on these types of programs in medical group practices in the upper Midwest. DESIGN AND METHODS: Data were obtained from two surveys of medical group practices. The first survey was designed to assess the culture of the practice using a nine-dimension instrument developed previously. The second survey was designed to obtain organizational structure data including the programs identified by the literature as important to the quality of care in medical practices. Completed surveys were obtained from eighty-eight medical groups. The relationship of the group practice culture to structural programs focused on quality of care was analyzed using logistic regression equations. RESULTS: Several interesting patterns emerged. As expected, practices with a strong information culture favor electronic data systems and formal programs that provide comparative or evidence-based data to enhance their clinical practices. However, those with a quality-centered culture appear to prefer patient satisfaction surveys to assess the quality of their care, while practices that are more business-oriented rely on bureaucratic strategies such as benchmarking and physician profiling. Cultures that emphasize the autonomy of physician practice were negatively (but not at a statistically significant level) associated with all the programs studied. Practices with a highly collegial culture appear to rely on informal peer review mechanisms to assure quality rather than any of the structural programs included in this analysis. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the types of quality programs that group practices develop differ according to their cultures. Consequently, it is important for practice administrators and medical directors to develop quality assurance programs that fit their cultures if they are to gain buy-in by their clinicians. Future research should assess the effect of culture-structure fit on quality and safety outcomes.     

Assessment of patient satisfaction as part of a physician performance evaluation: the Fallon Clinic experience

Patient satisfaction surveys were used as part of the physician evaluation process in a 300-member physician group practice with a largely health maintenance organization (HMO) patient population. The surveys were incorporated into the review process at the request of physicians who wanted to be evaluated by patients. Results were shared with physicians to identify problem areas for improving patient care. One year later, follow-up surveys showed improvement in patient ratings of participating physicians. In addition, physicians indicated that the surveys significantly improved the evaluation process.     

Patient satisfaction measurement in the disease management industry.

In mid-2004, the Disease Management Association of America (DMAA) Patient Satisfaction Workgroup in association with J.D. Power and Associates (JDPA) conducted a literature review and a member survey to gain an understanding of the nature of patient satisfaction measurement as it pertains to disease management (DM) programs within the DM industry. A review of the relevant literature indicates that perhaps, with the exception of diabetes disease management, there are no prevalent, systematic, or statistically validated approaches for measuring patient satisfaction within the disease management industry. Most existing studies tend to focus on the effectiveness of a disease management program on clinical outcomes, with patient satisfaction measured only as a part of a battery of "outcome" measures. However, many of these studies do find positive associations between patient satisfaction and clinical outcomes. A majority of the 49 respondents who completed the member feedback survey hold relatively high positions in their organizations. The vast majority of respondents indicate their organizations conduct patient satisfaction surveys that assess overall satisfaction, satisfaction with materials and information provided, and with staff members. Patient satisfaction surveys are most common among the five common chronic diseases: diabetes, asthma, congestive heart failure (CHF), coronary artery disease (CAD), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). More than three in four respondents agree that patient satisfaction measurement is important to the long-term success of their programs. Respondents also indicate that along with intelligence on patients' overall satisfaction with the program, they would also like to gain an understanding of whether or not their programs actually help manage the patient's medical condition. Eight survey instruments currently in use and submitted by study participants were also reviewed. Most of these instruments are relatively short and basic, typically administered by mail, and vary in the types of questions and response categories presented to respondents. This research concludes that there exists an implied need for patient satisfaction measurement in the DM industry and an opportunity to develop and leverage a standardized measurement approach assessing patient satisfaction. Additionally, the authors suggest that there may be value to conceptualizing "patient satisfaction" not as an outcome in itself, but as a means to increase compliance, which, in turn, can improve medical outcomes.     

Evaluation of patient satisfaction in health facilities. Review of the literature]

Assessment of hospital patient satisfaction is henceforth a statutory obligation in France. The purpose of this study was to define the main settings of patient satisfaction surveys and to describe methods for assessing patient satisfaction, through a literature review. Published works have mainly been based on experts opinions; few studies have used appropriate methodology. On the whole, their authors consider that patient satisfaction assessment should provide a useful feedback to the quality improvement system of hospitals. Surveys should associate qualitative and quantitative techniques and analysis of patient complaints and letters. Patient satisfaction surveys should not be separated from theoretical work on the foundations of this concept and its measurement.     

How reliable are surveys of client satisfaction with healthcare services? Evidence from matched facility and household data in Madagascar

Client satisfaction surveys in developing countries are increasingly being promoted as a means of understanding healthcare service quality and the demand for these services. However, concerns have been raised about the reliability of responses in such surveys: for example, ‘courtesy bias’ may lead clients, especially if interviewed upon exiting clinics, to provide misleadingly favorable responses. This study investigates this and other issues using unusual data from Madagascar in which identical questions about satisfaction with local health care centers were asked in user exit surveys and in a population-based household survey, the latter being less contaminated by courtesy bias as well as changes in provider behavior in response to being observed. The findings suggest that reported satisfaction in exit surveys is biased strongly upward for subjective questions regarding (for example) treatment by staff and consultation quality, but not for relatively objective questions about facility condition and supplies. The surveys do provide useful information on the determinants of consumer satisfaction with various dimensions of provider quality. Still, to obtain reliable estimates of consumer perceptions of health service quality, household-based sampling is strongly preferred.     

The measurement of patient satisfaction.

Many applied health service researchers launch into patient satisfaction surveys without realizing the complexity of the task. This paper identifies the difficulties involved in executing patient satisfaction surveys. The recent revival of interest in 'satisfaction' and disagreements over the meaningfulness of a unitary concept itself are outlined, and the various perspectives and definitions of the components of satisfaction are explored. The difficulties of developing a comprehensive conceptual model are considered, and the issues involved in designing patient satisfaction surveys--and the disasters that occur when these issues are ignored--are then set out. The potential cost-effectiveness of qualitative techniques is discussed, and the paper concludes by discussing how health care management systems could more effectively absorb the findings of patient satisfaction surveys.     

Patients' views on optimal visit length in primary care

Visit length (VL) has been decreasing over the last decades. Patients and physicians alike hold that this may have adverse affects on quality of care and patient-doctor rapport. Our aim was to study the optimal VL as viewed by the patients as well as possible related factors such as demographicparameters and patient satisfaction. By using surveys, we determined that patient satisfaction was highly correlated with VL and satisfaction from VL. Optimal VL as viewed by the patients was 15.4 minutes on average with considerable variation. Longer expected VL was associated with longer visits. Patient satisfaction from the visit was significantly decreased when expressed optimal VL exceeded the estimated duration of the visit. The surveys demonstrated that in young adults, satisfaction is highly correlated with VL. When asked, patients expect attainable VLs, which are on average only somewhat longer then the scheduled duration. We believe that patients should take part in decisions regarding visit scheduling. We suggest that individualization may contribute to the cost-effectiveness of physicians' time.