Popular types of Patient Satisfaction Surveys in Healthcare

Guide to Patient Satisfaction Surveys in Healthcare

When it comes to measuring patient satisfaction in the healthcare industry, professionals have a wide range of patient survey tools to choose from. The most common patient satisfaction survey techniques in 2024 fall into 4 main categories. The benefits and drawbacks of each type of patient survey will be discussed.

Keep in mind that there is no one perfect patient survey platform the perfect solution will depend on what meets your needs and fulfills your patients expectations.

What is a patient satisfaction survey

One method used by healthcare providers to gauge patient satisfaction is a survey of their experiences. After receiving care, a patient often completes the survey. The patient survey asks questions on a variety of issues related to the patient’s experience. The questionnaire often asks about the standard of care received, general interactions with the healthcare professional and personnel, and overall satisfaction with the experience.

Healthcare providers typically use this patient feedback to gain insight into key areas that need improvement to make necessary changes for improvement. The trend to capture feedback from patients has really significantly grown in recent years and now patient satisfaction surveys are an everyday part of the process.

Why is a survey for patient satisfaction so important in healthcare

Patient surveys are a critical part of healthcare as our health is (one of) the most important aspects and as a patient it is important the experience is the best it can be. The process is most of the time complicated. Patients are interacting with several members of the medical facility (intake, billing, doctors, nurses, etc) and often times the patient is going through emotional times along that process.

Patient satisfaction surveys can help build a connection and feedback loop between patients and their healthcare providers. By taking the time to fill out a patient satisfaction survey they can feel their opinion matters and their voices are heard.

Patient satisfaction survey examples

In today’s environment, healthcare professionals collaborate easily to give patients the best care possible. Patient satisfaction surveys have developed into a crucial tool for evaluating how well they are performing in order to both call out areas for improvement and acknowledge the staff’s best work.

There are endless different types of surveys being used in the healthcare industry but most share the common goal of collecting feedback from patients about their experience.

Common survey questions address issues like care quality, provider communication, and general satisfaction with the experience. Healthcare providers can gather vital information from patient satisfaction surveys about their strengths and areas for improvement. This knowledge enables adjustments to be made in order to raise the standard of care and the patient experience.

Emoji (smiley) Based Feedback Buttons – Measure Patient & Staff Feedback in Real Time. Penn Medicine researchers find that simple button terminals – featuring “emoji” reflecting a range of emotions and sentiments — stationed around emergency departments (EDs) are effective in monitoring doctor and patient sentiments in real-time.

Medical practice based kiosks for direct patient feedback

As the healthcare industry increasingly looks for ways to improve patient satisfaction many organizations are starting to use patient feedback kiosks in their medical practice or healthcare facility.

These patient feedback kiosks are an easy and convenient way for patients to share quick feedback after an appointment. In one study, more than 80% of patients who used a feedback kiosk said they would likely use it again to share feedback and nearly 90% said they would recommend it to others as a way of capturing feedback.

Popular locations to capture real time patient feedback

Hospital Emergency Department Feedback
Outpatient Clinics
Inpatient Wards
Surgical Waiting Areas
Pharmacy Counters
Hospital Cafeterias and Food Service
Specialty Care Units (Oncology, Cardiology)

Survey Poster Ideas

Our Emergency Department Team strives every day to provide the highest level care possible for our patients. Please take a moment to share your experience today.
In order to measure how we are doing, feedback from patients and guests is very important. Please complete our survey.
We are constantly working hard to improve the quality of care we provide our patience. Your real-time feedback is critical and we ask you to share some quick honest feedback.

Hospital Survey Companies

Below is a list of some top hospital survey companies who are focused to improve healthcare by collecting and analyzing patient feedback. Their insights help hospitals identify strengths and areas for improvement, enhancing patient satisfaction and ensuring compliance with standards. Review the below companies for continuous improvement in healthcare services.

SurveyStance
PatientTrak
Press Ganey
RepuGen

For a more comprehensive list and reviews check out our post on patient satisfaction survey companies.

The Contrarian View

While patient satisfaction surveys are essential, their implementation can sometimes be flawed. Many surveys use a Likert scale but focus primarily on the highest ratings, often simplifying the data and missing nuanced feedback. Administrators typically analyze these “top box” scores monthly, which can be misleading due to small sample sizes. This approach can result in inconsistencies in evaluating healthcare providers, where minor percentage differences can significantly impact perceived performance. Additionally, the emphasis on ratings may lead healthcare providers to prioritize score improvement over genuinely addressing patient care needs.

In my experience as an industry expert, addressing lower patient satisfaction following the denial of patient requests can be effectively managed through targeted clinician training in communication techniques. Historically, criticisms of satisfaction surveys are often met with reaffirmations of their value, with discrepancies frequently attributed to physicians. This often leaves physicians frustrated, as they put significant effort into patient communication, only to face dissatisfaction when they make decisions based on medical necessity rather than patient demands.