The impact on patient satisfaction of the introduction of family medicine residents into a model practice facility.
This study examines the effects on patient satisfaction of the introduction of family medicine residents into the staff of an ongoing private practice that joined a Department of Family Medicine. Questionnaires were administered to clinic patients during a four-week period four months prior to when residents began seeing patients at the clinic and again five months after residents joined the clinic staff. Satisfaction at both times was high; however, significant declines from Time 1 to Time 2 were noted on most items. Analysis showed that this decline was not related to dissatisfaction within the residents. A questionnaire was also mailed to a sample of patients who had not visited the clinic more than once during the first year of the resident program there. Three fourths of these individuals still viewed themselves as patients of the clinic. Implications of these findings for family medicine residency training programs are discussed.
D003258:Consumer Behavior; D005194:Family Practice / Q000193:education; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008922:Mississippi; D010352:Patient Dropouts; D010821:Physicians, Family / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011331:Private Practice