Introduction
Patient satisfaction is a factor that is considered to be one of the primary determinants of care quality. According to Kennedy, Tevis, and Kent (2014), patients’ view of the hospital in which they are treated affects their overall well-being and relationship with healthcare professionals. To assess patient satisfaction adequately, nurses have to formulate appropriate questions. For example, one may use the method of self-reporting – a survey. However, the results of an incorrectly designed questionnaire may present unreliable and unrealistic results, leading to further complications and problems (Zgierska, Rabago, & Miller, 2014). Thus, it is vital to generate questions that subjects will understand. The guidelines for survey development show that such questions have to be simple, concise, and transparent to maximize the response rate (Polit & Beck, 2017). The creation of a high-quality survey may significantly affect the success of data gathering for nursing research.
Possible Survey Questions
First of all, it is essential to mention that nurses have to collect patients’ demographic information before posing other questions directly connected to their level of satisfaction. Such data includes individuals’ gender, age, race, and other personal characteristics. These details are vital for the research validity because they ensure that there is no selection bias or prevailing opinion present in the results (Polit & Beck, 2017). Furthermore, it may help nurses identify some problems or differences in the survey’s outcomes. The following questions can be administered to patients after their demographic data is gathered.
- How long did you wait before meeting with a healthcare professional?
- How easy for you was it to make an appointment with our specialists?
- How well did the staff receive you during admission?
- How well did the healthcare provider explain the information about your concerns, prescriptions, and follow-up appointments?
- Would you recommend our organization to your friends and family members?
Methods and Sample Size
Questions presented above can become a part of a larger survey for determining patient satisfaction. Such inquiries gather data through the means of self-reporting – the process during which individuals consider and choose answers based on their personal observations (Polit & Beck, 2017). This method has many benefits and drawbacks. On the one hand, it allows patients to express their opinions without the fear of being criticized, because such surveys may be anonymous (Polit & Beck, 2017). Moreover, clearly defined questions help nurses see which areas of care should be improved in the future (Al-Abri & Al-Balushi, 2014). On the other hand, an incorrectly posed question may confuse patients and make the survey lose its validity. To prevent this from happening, all questions have to be assessed by multiple researchers and tested on a small number of respondents.
Aside from self-reporting, there exist other instruments of data gathering such as observation, document analysis, or interviews. However, in this case, a survey may be the most useful tool as it allows nurses to collect personal opinions from a large number of individuals while saving time and resources. Moreover, analysis or observation may not present nurses with patients’ thoughts and feelings which are necessary for determining their satisfaction levels. In this scenario, a sample size of 200 subjects may be considered as minimal to reach a viable number of survey responses. Recognizing that not all people may reply to the questions, a chosen sample may provide less feedback than was initially planned. Therefore, a minimum of 200 patients may be asked to participate to ensure that at least half of respondents will provide answers.
Conclusion
Patient satisfaction can be measured by a survey because of this method’s broad appeal and simple structure. Questions have to be preceded by demographic data collection to exclude any biases. The five presented inquiries are concerned with such factors as response time, staff friendliness, the accessibility of care, and the organization’s overall reliability. A survey is the best instrument for measuring patient satisfaction because it allows participants to express their opinions.
References
Al-Abri, R., & Al-Balushi, A. (2014). Patient satisfaction survey as a tool towards quality improvement. Oman Medical Journal, 29(1), 3-7.
Kennedy, G. D., Tevis, S. E., & Kent, K. C. (2014). Is there a relationship between patient satisfaction and favorable outcomes? Annals of Surgery, 260(4), 592-600.
Polit, D. F., & Beck, C. T. (2017). Nursing research: Generating and assessing evidence for nursing practice (10th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer.
Zgierska, A., Rabago, D., & Miller, M. M. (2014). Impact of patient satisfaction ratings on physicians and clinical care. Patient Preference and Adherence, 8, 437-446.