Tracking patient satisfaction is essential for the success of any clinic. High satisfaction translates to a stronger reputation, increased loyalty, and a steady stream of referrals, all of which have a direct impact on clinic revenue.
Join us as we discuss the factors that determine patient satisfaction, explain different measurement methods, and give you tried and tested tips for improving patient satisfaction.
The definition of patient satisfaction
Patient satisfaction is the heartbeat of healthcare service quality, reflecting how well a patient's expectations and needs are met. It's a multifaceted concept, encompassing everything from medical care quality to the behavior of medical staff.
More than a metric, it's a strategic tool that shapes clinical decisions, informs healthcare policies, and is indispensable for any forward-thinking clinic or hospital.
Why is patient satisfaction important?
Alongside providing the best care possible, improving patient satisfaction has become one of the primary goals for private healthcare providers. Why? Because it’s a key metric for success.
Patients have more options than ever, their needs are changing, and younger generations have increasingly high expectations from their healthcare providers.
The best way to track if your clinic is meeting patients’ needs and expectations is to actively collect patient feedback and measure their satisfaction.
How good is your clinic at collecting and managing patient feedback? Take our free assessment and get personalized tips for improvement.
The biggest factors that determine patient satisfaction
Patient satisfaction is influenced by a variety of factors, each playing a crucial role in shaping the overall patient experience. Here are the eight biggest factors in no particular order:
- Quality of communication: Effective communication goes a long way. This includes clear explanations of diagnoses, treatment options, and care and discharge instructions, as well as listening to patient concerns and questions.
- Empathy and compassion: Patients value being treated with empathy, respect, and compassion.
- Responsiveness and accessibility: Timely responses to patient needs, whether it's addressing pain, answering call buttons, or responding to inquiries, are critical. Accessibility of services, including ease of making appointments, also plays a vital role.
- Professional competence: Patients' trust in the competence and expertise of their healthcare providers, including both clinical skills and knowledge, greatly affects their satisfaction.
- Facility environment: The cleanliness, comfort, and overall environment of the healthcare facility, including waiting areas, patient rooms, and other amenities, have a big impact on patient perceptions.
- Wait times: Patients who have to wait long to receive care, including waiting for appointments, test results, and treatments, will consistently report lower satisfaction.
- Follow-up care and support: Post-appointment or post-discharge follow-up, including instructions for home care, medication management, and availability for questions or concerns, is essential for scoring high on patient satisfaction.
- Billing transparency: Patients value clear, transparent, and fair billing practices, without unexpected charges.
How can clinics measure patient satisfaction?
There are many different methods clinics can use to gauge the satisfaction of their patients:
- Patient satisfaction surveys: The most common method, these surveys can be conducted post-visit either in paper form, via email/SMS, or through online platforms. You can also explore third-party CAHPS surveys.
- Electronic Health Records (EHR): Some EHR systems include integrated tools for collecting patient feedback. This can be a convenient way to gather data as it's directly linked to the patient’s health records.
- Patient interviews and focus groups: Conducting in-depth interviews or organizing focus groups can provide qualitative insights into patient experiences. These methods allow for deeper exploration but are expensive and time-consuming.
- Online reviews and ratings: Monitoring and analyzing patient reviews on websites like IWantGrateCare, RateMDs, or even Google and Yelp can give clinics an idea of how they're perceived publicly. They can also monitor social media mentions and discussions for additional, unfiltered feedback.
- Net Promoter Score (NPS): This is a single-question survey asking patients how likely they are to recommend the clinic to others. The NPS in healthcare (which averages at +58) is a powerful indicator of overall patient satisfaction and loyalty.
Each of these methods has its strengths and limitations. Combining multiple approaches is often the key to obtaining a well-rounded understanding of patient satisfaction.
10 effective ways to improve patient satisfaction
The following tips are focused on creating a positive experience for patients by addressing their needs, preferences, and concerns, ultimately leading to higher satisfaction levels.
- Improve the quality of communication: Effective communication is crucial. Ensure clear explanations of diagnoses, treatment options, and care and discharge instructions, while actively listening to patient concerns and questions.
- Treat patients with empathy and compassion: Train staff to embody these qualities in every patient interaction. A welcoming atmosphere created by courteous and respectful staff can make a significant difference in how patients perceive their care experience.
- Enhance accessibility and convenience: Offer flexible scheduling options to remove barriers and improve access to care. Implementing online appointment booking and telehealth services can be the first steps in the right direction.
- Personalize patient care: Try to treat each patient as an individual with unique needs and preferences. Involving them in care decisions and respecting their choices is essential for patient-centered care.
- Leverage technology for efficiency: Use electronic health records and other technologies to improve information sharing, speed up patient intakes, send personalized appointment reminders, schedule staff shifts, and streamline other care processes.
- Minimize wait times: Efficient scheduling and workflow management can significantly reduce wait times. While you’re working on that, be transparent about waiting times to manage patient expectations.
- Improve the facility's environment: Maintain a clean and inviting healthcare setting. Attention to the physical environment contributes to patient comfort, and you’ll see that reflected in patient satisfaction surveys.
- Ensure billing transparency: Clear and upfront communication about costs, billing processes, and insurance coverage can alleviate patient anxiety and confusion, leading to higher satisfaction.
- Act on patient feedback: Regularly solicit and thoroughly analyze patient feedback to identify quality gaps. Then prioritise areas for improvement and start implementing those changes.
- Provide proper follow-up care: Implementing a system for post-visit follow-ups or communication to check on patients' recovery, address any concerns, and provide additional support is essential for comprehensive care — and long-term patient satisfaction.
Easily track and improve your patient satisfaction score with InsiderCX
InsiderCX is a one-stop solution for designing, deploying, and analyzing patient satisfaction surveys. We work with private healthcare providers to automate quality control and build patient feedback loops they can use to continuously improve and deliver better treatment outcomes.
All of the survey data is instantly visualized inside our platform. Alternatively, we can integrate with and forward everything to your existing CRM/EHR systems.
You will be able to measure overall patient satisfaction with ease, as well as benchmark satisfaction between different location, services, and doctors.
Every customers gets to test drive InsiderCX and get a free proof of concept before spending a single penny. Contact our team today to learn how.
FAQ about patient satisfaction
How does the NHS measure patient satisfaction?
The NHS places a strong emphasis on measuring patient satisfaction through national programs. One key tool used is the Friends and Family Test, a simple measure that assesses patient satisfaction with inpatient care. Patients are asked to rate their satisfaction on a scale from 1 to 10 and provide demographic information such as age and gender.
Additionally, an open-ended question is included for further comments or feedback. These results are instrumental in identifying areas for improvement and shaping NHS policies and practices. They are also used by the Care Quality Commission for performance measurement at both local and national levels.
What questions are asked in a patient satisfaction survey?
A typical patient satisfaction survey can include a wide variety of different questions. Some of the more common ones are:
- "Based on your complete experience with our medical care facility, how likely are you to recommend us to a friend or colleague?" (to gauge the likelihood of recommendations based on care and satisfaction)
- "Did you have any issues arranging an appointment?" (to assess the ease of appointment scheduling)
- "How would you rate the professionalism of our staff?" (to evaluate staff behavior and professionalism)
- "Are you currently covered under a health insurance plan?" (to gather information on insurance coverage)
There isn’t a defined set of questions a clinic or hospital has to ask. It ultimately depends on what they want to measure.
