Article: Thorough medical knowledge and swift, accurate diagnoses are clearly important, but the well-being of patients relies on much more than merely that.  Taking the time to assess patient satisfaction means improving the communication between physicians and the patients they treat.  Surveys and similar assessment practices can make patients feel more listened to and cared for. This makes it easier for patients to trust their physicians and open up to medical staff about health issues. Patient satisfaction surveys also give medical practices an understanding of what they need to do to improve overall. This includes things like physical surroundings, timeliness of staff, duration of time taken to receive test results, waiting time, hand hygiene, friendliness of staff, etc. Conducting a patient satisfaction survey can be a good thing, but you need to make sure that everyone involved is interested in actively improving.  Everyone involved with your medical practice must be brought on board. This includes those actively involved with patients (physicians, nurses, nursing assistants, other office staff) as well as those who run things behind the scenes. Quality work must be at the center of your practice's mission and vision. Keep in mind that patients have lots of choices when it comes to healthcare, so make sure that all of your staff members understand the importance of maintaining and enhancing patient satisfaction. Determine how much you can afford to spend on this project before you embark on it. The rest of your decisions concerning the project will need to be based on that figure.  Customer satisfaction surveys that are operated completely in-house are much more affordable in monetary terms, but they will require a greater time investment. Most large healthcare corporations hire large healthcare satisfaction companies to asses patient satisfaction. This allows for objective studies without any bias associated with the results. Conducting a survey through an outside vendor will save time, but it will cost you more money. Expect to pay at least $300 to $400 per physician if your practice has at least three physicians associated with it.  You also need to consider the cost of analysis. If you are confident that someone in the practice has the time and skill to analyze the results quantitatively and accurately, you can save money by doing this in-house. If this isn't the case, though, you will need to outsource the analysis of results to a firm that specializes in the analysis of healthcare related data. Written surveys are the most popular and, under most circumstances, the most accurate.  Other options used can include phone surveys, focus groups, and personal interviews. The areas you assess will be the same regardless of the tool you decide on, even though the exact questions you might ask could vary between formats. The right choice mostly depends on cost and practicality for your specific circumstances. Make sure that all of your staff and professional colleagues know what to expect from the survey.  Explain your reasons for embarking on a patient satisfaction assessment. These may include improvement in performance, timeliness, physical aesthetics, reception staff impression. etc. Point out that patients deserve to have a say in provider performance. Also, mention that patients may comment on any aspect of care, from check-in to following up with test results. Also point out that it is important to be consistent with quality care and to ensure that everyone is following protocols, policies, and national guidelines. Also explain how the results will be evaluated and acted upon. This step will need to be done continually throughout the entire process. In other words, everyone involved should be kept updated from start to finish.

What is a summary?
Understand the significance of assessment. Approach the process with the right attitude. Think about the cost. Determine which tool to use. Keep everyone informed.