Effects of writing down the request for help: A randomized controlled trial

Background: Studies investigating interventions, aimed at improving patient satisfaction by exploring the patient's request for help, show conflicting results.

Objectives: To investigate whether writing down the request for help on a request card, prior to the consultation improves patient satisfaction.

Methods: This study was a single-blind randomized controlled trial, in which the patients were blinded to the intervention. Patients were recruited in two rural practices (five GPs) and one urban practice (four GPs) in The Netherlands. Consecutive patients with a new request for help were asked to participate. All patients received general information about patient satisfaction. After randomization, patients in the intervention group were asked to fill in a card with their request(s) for help; the general practitioners started the consultations with these questions. We used the ‘Professional Care’ subscale of the Consultation Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ) to examine the effect of the intervention on patient satisfaction. Secondary outcomes were patient satisfaction measured with the patient's VAS score, the GP's VAS score on satisfaction, consultation time, the other subscales of the CSQ, and the number of consultations during follow-up.

Results: There was no difference in patient satisfaction (CSQ, VAS) between both groups. We also did not find any differences between the other subscales of the CSQ.

Conclusion: A beneficial effect of the use of a ‘request card’ by the patient on patient satisfaction of the consultation could not be demonstrated.