Patient satisfaction surveys: Benefits and how to use them

What is a patient satisfaction survey?

A patient satisfaction survey is a self-reported questionnaire that aims to gather patient feedback about the healthcare experience. Typically, these surveys are designed to assess the quality of the patient’s experience throughout different stages of their visits with healthcare providers.

In other words, a patient satisfaction survey is not only concerned with what happens during in-person appointments. It also analyzes information from before, during, and after visits–such as wait times, visit length, provider experience etc.–to identify opportunities for improvement.

Defining Patient Satisfaction

Ultimately, all of the elements a patient satisfaction survey considers have one key thing in common: they impact how happy (or unhappy) a patient is with their care experience. This feeling toward care and access to it can be described as patient satisfaction; it’s a measure of how well your care services meet patient needs and expectations.

Beyond being important for the well-being of patients, satisfaction is also relevant as an indicator of the quality of care. In other words, the more satisfied patients are, the more likely they are to be receiving tailored care that meets their needs and doesn’t disrupt their quality of life. Some of the factors that affect satisfaction may include:

• Interactions and bonds with healthcare professionals
• Accuracy of medical bills, scheduling information, etc.
• Timely and valuable visits with providers
• Regular, effective communication
• Tailored and patient-first care

However, because there are so many factors that can impact satisfaction rates, many of which vary from patient to patient, it can be challenging for providers to identify clear solutions to boost them.

So, a patient satisfaction survey is a simple but highly effective tool that takes the guesswork out of identifying areas of need within your current operations and approach to care.

What are the types of patient satisfaction surveys?

From standardized assessments developed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to informal questionnaires created in-house, there are plenty of types of patient satisfaction surveys to leverage.

The best types of surveys to use will likely depend on your goals. A combination of standardized tools and internal assessments can help healthcare organizations assess their needs while also supporting quality initiatives.

In some cases, reimbursement may be tied to the quality of care organizations provide; in this case, a survey is a means to collect the data required to demonstrate compliance. Organizations that performed well on the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey, for instance, were eligible for reimbursement under the Affordable Care Act beginning in 2012.

Why do patient satisfaction surveys matter?

Patient satisfaction surveys increase visibility into a phenomenon that is otherwise difficult, if not impossible, to see: the patient experience. In doing so, they give healthcare organizations important insights that support growth and enable more consumer-driven and patient-centric care.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the key benefits of patient satisfaction surveys.

Connect to the patient experience

Much of what a patient goes through outside of the doctor’s office is unknown, at least from the perspective of healthcare providers. And in some cases, the period of the unknown can unravel the progress made in treatment sessions.

In other words, a lack of continuity in a provider’s connection to the patient experience makes it difficult to identify areas that might be impacting their satisfaction rates.

Attentive and compassionate care in person can contrast sharply with a lack of access to resources outside the office, for example, or other issues like long wait times and confusing scheduling processes.

A simple survey may be all it takes to become aware of the challenges patients regularly face.

Support better health outcomes

Satisfied patients are happier and more engaged patients, which typically means they’re more likely to adhere to treatment plans consistently. But the insights gained by providers during the survey process are important for boosting health outcomes, too, as they offer a unique look at factors that may not be directly related to care (but impact its quality nonetheless).

Improve retention rates and patient trust

Increase revenue and build trust with patients with a patient satisfaction survey tailored to your organization. Showing you care about the patient experience is valuable in and of itself; actually following through on the insights gained through surveys and making changes is even better.

By identifying the main problems that limit your organization’s ability to grow and form lasting bonds with loyal patients, you can easily improve your overall performance.

Deliver care tailored to each patient

Pinpointing universal areas of need within your organization is important, but so too is reflecting on the results from each individual patient’s satisfaction surveys.

Having quick and easy access to these results so that you can revisit them and tailor your care appropriately is a great way to ensure that you maximize the value you get from each questionnaire.

How to Create a Patient Satisfaction Survey

Whether you opt for standardized surveys or create your own, you’ll need a software solution built to streamline the process.

Linear Health is a patient engagement and communication platform designed to simplify the process of creating patient satisfaction surveys as part of our “Reputation Management” product. Our platform empowers clinics around the country to automate, creating surveys, collecting feedback, and making it easy to use that data to draw insights, allowing you to control all the elements that influences the patient experience in one integrated platform. Our mission is to give healthcare organizations the tools they need to put quality control measures–including patient satisfaction surveys–into place, all without creating undue administrative burden for your teams.

Design digital forms in minutes, send them to patients and securely store their responses for future reference. Share information with your whole team without a hassle, and get access to insights that support your quality initiatives.

It’s time to rethink how we approach the patient-provider relationship; with the right technology in your arsenal, you can deliver on your promises to patients without burning yourself out in the process.

Ready to get started? Reach out to us today to schedule a demo.