At Brown University Health, we strive to deliver the highest quality patient care we can. To make sure that we do that, or to identify areas in which we can improve, we rely on our patients to provide direct and timely feedback via patient satisfaction or patient experience surveys.
What is a patient experience survey?
A patient experience survey is a request for feedback, in the form of both rating-scale and open-ended questions, sent out to patients after a visit with a medical provider. They are usually sent from and returned to a third-party impartial organization over text, email, or a phone call. That third-party organization then calculates the results of the returned surveys and passes the results to the provider or the medical practice. The survey results are anonymous, unless the patient supplies information and encourages follow-up from the medical practice.
These surveys are a measure of a patient’s experience, or "the sum of all interactions, shaped by an organization's culture, that influence patient perceptions across the continuum of care," says Aamer Ahmed, Brown University Health's system director of patient experience. "By tying the patient satisfaction results with both clinical and operational data, we can gain insights to root-cause pain points that our patients encounter and develop creative solutions." This data may be related to diagnosis, wait times, ESI (Emergency Severity Index) levels, length of stay, and other factors that can greatly impact your overall experience with a visit to your healthcare provider.
How do patient experience surveys help healthcare providers?
Patient experience surveys are one of the ways patients can communicate with their providers about their care. "As an organization, we strive to continuously improve how we deliver care and cannot do that without hearing their thoughts," says Ahmed.
"We can't ever forget that the patient comes first in our job," says Dr. Derek Jenkins, an orthopedic surgeon with Brown University Health Orthopedics Institute. "That is the purpose of our practice—to heal the patient." A patient satisfaction survey provides an additional, anonymous opportunity for healthcare providers to evaluate how they communicate with patients to discuss treatment options, possible concerns, and how the provider can help the patient achieve their goals.
Dr. Paul Larson, medical director of Brown Health Medical Group Primary Care, says “the feedback we receive from patients is vital to the care we provide and is reviewed by the care team every time for opportunities to improve.” Dr. Laura Dawson, a pediatrician with Brown Health Medical Group Primary Care, adds “the more specific the feedback, the more helpful it is. We also greatly appreciate patient’s suggestions for how things could have been better.”
How do patient experience surveys help patients?
Higher patient satisfaction ratings and a better patient experience have increased benefits for the patients, as well. Research shows a connection between better patient experiences scores and higher patient safety and clinical outcomes. In other words, if a healthcare provider is delivering quality patient care based on patient satisfaction surveys, their patients are more likely to have shorter lengths of stay, quicker recovery times, fewer risks for complications such as infection, and lower stress related to their medical concerns.
Do I have to wait for a survey to leave feedback?
“Patients don’t have to wait for an automated survey following a visit to provide feedback,” says Dr. Larson. “We encourage a culture of frequent, direct and timely feedback to our care teams to help them stay on track for outstanding patient experiences every time.” If you feel comfortable discussing your concerns directly with your provider, you can do so in an appointment. Or you can reach out to a patient and guest services representative during a hospital stay—for Brown University Health hospital locations, you can find patient information on this webpage. Many hospitals or healthcare provider groups will also have a contact page on their website with either an email form, phone number, or both. These communication avenues are protected by HIPAA, meaning that your medical information remains secure, and your care team can reach out to you directly if you request follow up.
You are also able to leave reviews on websites, or communicate with the provider's office over social media, but those avenues are not recommended as any information shared there can be seen by the public.
From all of us at Brown University Health, we greatly appreciate the time taken by our patients to provide feedback about their experiences with our teams. We hope to deliver superior quality care to all our patients, and your feedback is a vital part of the process.
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