title: Improving patient satisfaction through physician education, feedback, and incentives.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patient satisfaction has been associated with improved outcomes and become a focus of reimbursement.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Evaluate an intervention to improve patient satisfaction.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nonrandomized, pre-post study that took place from 2011 to 2012.
  
  
  METHODS
  Large tertiary academic medical center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Internal medicine (IM) resident physicians, non-IM resident physicians, and adult patients of the resident physicians.
  
  
  METHODS
  IM resident physicians were provided with patient satisfaction education through a conference, real-time individualized patient satisfaction score feedback, monthly recognition, and incentives for high patient-satisfaction scores.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patient satisfaction on physician-related and overall satisfaction questions on the HCAHPS survey. We conducted a difference-in-differences regression analysis comparing IM and non-IM patient responses, adjusting for differences in patient characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In our regression analysis, the percentage of patients who responded positively to all 3 physician-related Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) questions increased by 8.1% in the IM and 1.5% in the control cohorts (absolute difference 6.6%, P = 0.04). The percentage of patients who would definitely recommend this hospital to friends and family increased by 7.1% in the IM and 1.5% in the control cohorts (absolute difference 5.6%, P = 0.02). The national average for the HCAHPS outcomes studied improved by no more than 3.1%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study was nonrandomized and was conducted at a single site.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To our knowledge, this is the first intervention associated with a significant improvement in HCAHPS scores. This may serve as a model to increase patient satisfaction, hospital revenue, and train resident physicians.
authors.affiliation: UCLA Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.
authors.forename: Gaurav
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Banka
authors.affiliation: UCLA Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Edgington
authors.affiliation: UCLA Health Office of the Patient Experience, University of California, Los Angeles Hospitals, Los Angeles, California.
authors.forename: Namgyal
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kyulo
authors.affiliation: UCLA Health Office of the Patient Experience, University of California, Los Angeles Hospitals, Los Angeles, California.
authors.forename: Tony
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Padilla
authors.affiliation: UCLA Health Office of the Patient Experience, University of California, Los Angeles Hospitals, Los Angeles, California.
authors.forename: Virgie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mosley
authors.affiliation: UCLA Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.
authors.forename: Nasim
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Afsarmanesh
authors.affiliation: UCLA Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.
authors.forename: Gregg C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Fonarow
authors.affiliation: UCLA Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.
authors.forename: Michael K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Ong
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005246:Feedback; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000592:standards*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010820:Physicians / Q000592:standards*