What is important to patients receiving extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy for urinary tract calculi?
BACKGROUND
Patients' experience and expectations are paramount in the current era of clinical governance. However, there is lack of published information on patients' expectations from extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy (ESWL) treatment for renal stone disease. We conducted a survey to quantify what aspects of ESWL are important purely from the patients' prospective.


METHODS
Postal questionnaires were sent out to all patients who attended our unit for ESWL treatment for renal stone disease. The questionnaire referred to 15 aspects of ESWL treatment. Patients were asked to rate each aspect based on a numerical scale from 1 to 10 (1--least important; 10--most important).


RESULTS
We posted 340 questionnaires and received 208 valid replies (61%). Stone clearance was statistically the most important aspect of treatment. Staff attitude and explanation of the procedure and outcomes were rated highly. To our surprise, pain control was rated only 8th.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients' priorities may be different to ours. Surveys like this allow ones to put the appropriate 'weight' on the results of patient satisfaction surveys in order to allocate resources and improve service appropriately.
Kouriefs
C
C
Lithotripsy Unit, Department of Urology, St Helier Hospital, Carshalton, Surrey, UK. C.Kouriefs@binternet.com
Quatan
N
N
Larking
A
A
Watkin
N A
NA
Boyd
P J R
PJ
D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008096:Lithotripsy / Q000523:psychology*; D010146:Pain / Q000517:prevention & control; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014545:Urinary Calculi / Q000628:therapy*