How patient surveys can improve satisfaction in healthcare

In today’s intensely competitive healthcare landscape, adopting a patient-centered approach is of paramount importance. To achieve this, patient satisfaction surveys are used by organizations across the healthcare sector to improve their understanding of how well they’re meeting patient needs and demands.

Surveys are useful tools to support healthcare providers in increasing patient loyalty and word-of-mouth referrals. Patient surveys are also a great way to assess performance and highlight any areas for improvement.

How can satisfaction surveys support a patient-focused approach?
Patient satisfaction surveys offer healthcare providers invaluable insights to illuminate potential gaps and opportunities to enhance service provision. Capturing detailed and quantifiable data from the patient viewpoint allows healthcare organizations to better understand the quality of care and service they’re providing.

A survey signifies to both patients and the wider community that the organization prioritizes high standards and is proactively investigating ways to upgrade service delivery. A better understanding of patient satisfaction levels means organizations can act on the insights to drive change.

What questions can you answer with a patient satisfaction survey?

• Service levels – What is the average waiting time, and is this deemed acceptable?
• Facilities – How welcoming is the waiting room, how do patients rate the procedure rooms, were hygiene levels high, is there good access and parking for everyone?
• Quality of care – Was the medical exam thorough, was the patient-physician communication clear, were staff welcoming and compassionate?
• Administration – How easy was it to book an appointment, did the referrals come quickly, was the billing procedure efficient?
• New opportunities – Are there any ways the organization can expand its services to meet changing patient needs?

What are the benefits of patient surveys?
Patient satisfaction surveys that are well-designed and carefully analyzed can significantly enhance decision making accuracy within a healthcare organization. They provide additional leverage when negotiating with healthcare networks, as well as acting as a benchmark that can be regularly revisited. This is of great benefit when it comes to creating patient-focused policies and processes, and driving quality improvement initiatives.

Actively asking for, and acting on, patient feedback through surveys, allows healthcare providers and organizations to identify areas for development, implement targeted strategies, and ultimately enhance patient satisfaction through a higher quality of care.

Savanta creates effective patient satisfaction surveys that are Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliant. This ensures data is collected and managed with the highest possible protection of patient and data confidentiality and privacy.

Whether you need a patient survey designed from scratch, a Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey, or need help administering an existing survey, our team of experts are here to help.