Improving Patient Satisfaction Surveys

KYW's Medical Reports Sponsored By Independence Blue Cross

By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Hospital and physician practices, like many companies, have long used surveys, often expensive surveys, to look at customer satisfaction.

The patient satisfaction reports called HCAHPS is a survey that asks questions looking at patient satisfaction. The process is expensive and limited to specific questions often answered by those who are very happy or very unhappy — getting the extremes.

In addition, the response rates are often quite low and this affects validity.

A new study takes a look at present social media tools like Yelp and these can provide insight into the patient experience that is not prestructured by the biases of questionnaires and surveys.

The real advantage here is that companies can't control the pure, unfiltered message and consumers will actually help paint a picture of satisfaction that may not be adequately measured by these formal surveys often sent in the mail.

All of this is happening outside of anyone's control, and the reality is that there is a sea change from institutional control to patient control.