April 19, 2018
The Washington Health Alliance recently surveyed state residents about their experiences with primary care medical groups and clinics. The Alliance surveyed 250,000 people between August – November 2017.
Actions that make a difference
Survey questions focused on whether or not and how often certain events or behaviors happened during care (Washington Health Alliance news release, February 26, 2018). The Alliance found that high-scoring practices performed well on six key drivers of patient satisfaction:
- How often did your provider listen carefully to you?
- How often did your provider show respect for what you had to say?
- How often did your provider seem to know the important information about your medical history?
- How often did your provider explain things in a way that was easy to understand?
- How often did your provider spend enough time with you?
- How often did your provider seem informed and up-to-date about the care you got from specialists?
Improvements and declines from 2015
Washington primary care providers’ scores improved in two areas since 2015: communication with patients and helpful office staff. Scores for timely appointments and care coordination declined since 2015. Why is this important? Research suggests that care coordination and patient engagement not only increase patient satisfaction – they also improve patients’ health outcomes. (Manary, et. al. The New England Journal of Medicine, January 27, 2013.)
You can view results for primary care providers published in the February 2018 survey report, titled “Your Voice Matters: Patient Experience with Primary Care Providers in Washington State.”
Watch for future articles about patient experience.