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Do Previsit Expectations Correlate With Satisfaction of New Patients Presenting for Evaluation With an Orthopaedic Surgical Practice?

  • Clinical Research
  • Published:
Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research®

Abstract

Background

Patient satisfaction is associated with increased compliance, improved treatment outcomes, and decreased risk of litigation. Factors such as patient understanding and psychological well-being are recognized influences on satisfaction. Less is known about the relationship between previsit expectations and satisfaction.

Questions/purposes

(1) Are there correlations among previsit expectations, met expectations, and patient satisfaction? (2) What are the categories of expectations, and which one(s) correlate with satisfaction?

Methods

Eighty-six new patients presenting to a hand surgery practice of a tertiary referral hospital with 70% direct primary care referrals, mostly with elective concerns, indicated their previsit expectations (Patient Intention Questionnaire [PIQ]). Immediately after the visit, the same patients rated the degree to which their previsit expectations were met (Expectation Met Questionnaire [EMQ]) and their satisfaction level (Medical Interview Satisfaction Scale). These tools have been used in primary care office settings and claim good psychometric properties, and although they have not been strictly validated for responsiveness and other test parameters, they have good face validity. We then conducted a multivariable backward linear regression to determine whether (1) scores on the PIQ; and (2) scores on the EMQ are associated with satisfaction.

Results

Satisfaction correlated with met expectations (r = 0.36; p < 0.001) but not with previsit expectations (r = −0.01, p = 0.94). We identified five primary categories of previsit expectations that accounted for 50% of the variance in PIQ: (1) “Information and Explanation”; (2) “Emotional and Understanding”; (3) “Emotional Problems”; (4) “Diagnostics”; and (5) “Comforting”. The only category of met expectations that correlated with satisfaction was Information and Explanation (r = 0.43; p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Among patients seeing a hand surgeon, met expectations correlate with satisfaction. In particular, patients with met expectations regarding information and explanation were more satisfied with their visit. Efforts to determine the most effective methods for conveying unexpected information warrant investigation.

Level of Evidence

Level II, prognostic study.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Drs Chaitanya Mudgal and Jesse Jupiter for allowing us to enroll their patients.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Orthopaedic Hand and Upper Extremity Service, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Yawkey Center, Suite 2100, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA

    Michiel G. J. S. Hageman MD, Jan Paul Briët MD, Jeroen K. Bossen MD, Robin D. Blok BSc, David C. Ring MD, PhD & Ana-Maria Vranceanu MSc, PhD

Authors
  1. Michiel G. J. S. Hageman MD
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  2. Jan Paul Briët MD
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  3. Jeroen K. Bossen MD
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  4. Robin D. Blok BSc
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  5. David C. Ring MD, PhD
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  6. Ana-Maria Vranceanu MSc, PhD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to David C. Ring MD, PhD.

Additional information

One of the authors (MGJSH) was supported by “Marti kuning Eckhardt fonds,” a nonmedical study grant, “Spinoza fonds,” a nonmedical study grant, and a “AnnaFonds Travel grant” (Dutch orthopaedic travel grant). One of the authors (RDB) was supported by “Spinza fonds,” a nonmedical study grant.

All ICMJE Conflict of Interest Forms for authors and Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research ® editors and board members are on file with the publication and can be viewed on request.

Each author certifies that his or her institution approved the human protocol for this investigation, that all investigations were conducted in conformity with ethical principles of research, and that informed consent for participation in the study was obtained.

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Cite this article

Hageman, M.G.J.S., Briët, J.P., Bossen, J.K. et al. Do Previsit Expectations Correlate With Satisfaction of New Patients Presenting for Evaluation With an Orthopaedic Surgical Practice?. Clin Orthop Relat Res 473, 716–721 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11999-014-3970-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11999-014-3970-6

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