Premium
Whose experience is measured?: A pilot study of patient satisfaction demographics in pediatric otolaryngology
Author(s) -
Nieman Carrie L.,
Benke James R.,
Ishman Stacey L.,
Smith David F.,
Boss Emily F.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
the laryngoscope
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1531-4995
pISSN - 0023-852X
DOI - 10.1002/lary.24307
Subject(s) - medicine , family medicine , demographics , otorhinolaryngology , observational study , logistic regression , confounding , patient satisfaction , health care , demography , test (biology) , nursing , surgery , sociology , economics , economic growth , paleontology , biology
Objectives/Hypothesis Despite a national emphasis on patient‐centered care and cultural competency, minority and low‐income children continue to experience disparities in health care quality. Patient satisfaction scores are a core quality indicator. The objective of this study was to evaluate race and insurance‐related disparities in parent participation with pediatric otolaryngology satisfaction surveys. Study Design Observational analysis of patient satisfaction survey respondents from a tertiary pediatric otolaryngology division. Methods Demographics of survey respondents (Press Ganey Medical Practice Survey©) between January and July 2012 were compared to a clinic comparison group using t test and chi‐square analyses. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to assess likelihood to complete a survey based on race or insurance status. Results A total of 130 survey respondents were compared to 1,251 patients in the comparison group. The mean patient age for which the parent survey was completed was 5.7 years (6.1 years for the comparison group, P = 0.18); 59.2% of children were ≤5 years old. Relative to the comparison group, survey respondents were more often white (77.7% vs. 58.1%; P <0.001) and privately insured (84.6% vs. 60.8%; P <0.001). Similarly, after controlling for confounding variables, parents of children who were white (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.13–2.78, P = 0.013) or privately insured (OR 2.9, 95% CI 1.74–4.85, P <0.001) were most likely to complete a survey. Conclusion Methods to evaluate satisfaction did not capture the racial or socioeconomic patient distribution within this pediatric division. These findings challenge the validity of applying patient satisfaction scores, as currently measured, to indicate health care quality. Future efforts to measure and improve patient experience should be inclusive of a culturally diverse population. Level of Evidence 2c. Laryngoscope , 124:290–294, 2014