Can communication skills workshops for emergency department doctors improve patient satisfaction?
OBJECTIVE
To assess whether the attending of the communication skills workshops by the emergency department doctors improves patient satisfaction and reduces the number of complaints on doctors' attitude.


METHODS
Standard performas were sent to all emergency departments (EDs) in Hong Kong soliciting their numbers of written complaints on doctors' attitude or communication problems during the nine months before and after a series of communication skills workshops. Patient satisfaction surveys in four representative EDs, before and after the workshops, were collected and the satisfaction rates of doctors' attitude, explanation and advice were subsequently compared.


RESULTS
For the hospitals that responded, written complaints against doctors' attitude reduced from 26 (1 January 1995 to 30 September 1995) to 15 (1 July 1996 to 31 March 1997), amounting to a 42% reduction despite an increase of attendance from 724000 to 898000 (p = 0.05 chi2). From the 663 and 480 questionnaires collected before and after the workshops respectively, the satisfaction rate to doctors' attitude increases from 88.3% before to 98% after the workshops, while the satisfaction rate to explanation and advice provided by doctors increases from 79.8% to 93.8%.


CONCLUSIONS
Communication skills workshops in Hong Kong can improve ED doctors communication skills with a corresponding increase in patient satisfaction and reduction of complaints against ED doctors.
Accident and Emergency Department, United Christian Hospital, Kwun Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong. fllau@ha.org.hk
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Lau
D003142:Communication; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D006113:United Kingdom