Cognitive interview techniques reveal specific behaviors and issues that could affect patient satisfaction relative to hospitalists.
BACKGROUND
There is a trend toward patient-centered care as a means of improving patient satisfaction. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have made this concept more significant with plans to link reimbursement to patient satisfaction measures such as the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey (HCAHPS).


OBJECTIVE
To generate hypotheses for reasons underlying diminished HCAHPS patient satisfaction survey ratings, with reference to hospitalists.


METHODS
Observational study conducted using a cognitive interview (CI) technique in a 180-bed community hospital on adult medical, surgical, and critical care inpatients.


METHODS
Mixed qualitative and quantitative study using both standard responses and open-ended responses. The standard responses were compiled into raw numbers and percentages and the qualitative responses were evaluated for common themes and other useful information.


RESULTS
Notable factors that may affect satisfaction of patients include ability to have all of their questions answered, incomplete discussion of medication side effects, and failure of physicians to listen and form personal connections with them.


CONCLUSIONS
Cognitive interview techniques can be used to provide additional detail regarding patient satisfaction beyond that provided by standard surveys.
Blanden
Adam R
AR
Binghamton University, East Binghamton, New York, USA.
Rohr
Richard E
RE
D003142:Communication; D020445:Hospitalists; D006764:Hospitals, Community / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D013997:Time Factors