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Survey Limitations

With the exception of rare survey systems performed in person and at discharge, satisfaction survey data are not completely random. Most health care satisfaction survey companies do not include patients admitted to the hospital or transferred out of the host hospital. In most cases, those patients receive an inpatient survey. Telephone-based surveys tend to skew the data away from non–English speakers and those who may not have a personal phone. Mail-based surveys eliminate those without permanent addresses and the illiterate. Children have their surveys filled out by parents or caretakers. Institutionalized patients may be unable to complete surveys independently and tend to be underrepresented.

Depending on how surveys are distributed and interpreted, frequent ED utilizers are either over- or underrepresented – commonly, ED surveys are not re-sent out to patients if they have been seen in the same ED within 90 days.

Surveys Here to Stay

Patient satisfaction surveys will increasingly be used in health care, with results tied to reimbursement. Satisfaction surveys are one of the few tools available to facilities, administrators, regulatory bodies, and providers to gauge the patient’s perception of care. The current move in health care is toward more transparency with incentives for high performers. ED leaders must be armed with the tools necessary to use survey information in the most productive manner. With a thorough understanding comes a greater ability to interpret the data, educate others, and drive to a better performance.