[Evaluation of inpatient satisfaction. Comparison of different survey methods].
OBJECTIVE
To assess the impact of patient satisfaction survey method on response rate, data quality and satisfaction.


METHODS
Four modes of data collection were assessed during a randomized trial that included 400 inpatients discharged from a teaching hospital.


RESULTS
The response rate was 58% within the mail survey group (72% with follow-up letter) versus 73% and 81% within the home and telephone interview group (p < 0.01). 69% of the mailed questionnaires contained no missing values versus 94% and 96% for home and telephone interview modes (p < 0.01). The global satisfaction scale score was greater within the mail survey groups (8.1/10 without follow-up letter and 7.9 with follow-up letter) than within the telephone interview group (7.8) and the face to face interview group (7.3), (p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Mail survey with follow-up letter constitutes an operational method despite lower data quality and overestimation of patients' satisfaction scores.
Labarère
J
J
Unité d'Evaluation, SIIM, CHU de Grenoble.
François
P
P
Bertrand
D
D
Fourny
M
M
Olive
F
F
Peyrin
J C
JC
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys / Q000379:methods*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards