B. A. Singletary1,3, N. K. Patel3, J. M. Dodd2, H. Chen1, M. J. Heslin1,3 1University Of Alabama At Birmingham,Department Of Surgery,Birmingham, AL, USA 2Univesity Of Alabama At Birmingham,Department Of Quality And Safety,Birmingham, AL, USA 3University Of Alabama At Birmingham,Chief Of The Medical Staff Office,Birmingham, AL, USA
Introduction: Physicians are increasingly being measured by patient’s perceptions of care and experience. Current measurement tools many times fail to resonate with physicians and are complex in their interpretation. This study evaluated descriptive words about the patient doctor interaction, and validated this tool against current Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) standards.
Methods: Between 1/1/2015 and 4/30/2016, an addition to the current outpatient patient experience survey was made, asking individuals: “Please describe your physician in today’s visit in two words”. Words were scored as positive and negative, based on sentiment analysis, and then analyzed categorically. Correlation analyses were completed to validate this measure with the existing, yet more extensive Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Clinician & Group Survey (CG-CAHPS).
Results: 52,328 surveys included two word data, with responses analyzed on 594 physicians across 20 departments at a single institution. An average of 28 surveys were completed per physician, with respondents were more likely to be female (65%), caucasian (81%), and showing a mean age of 58 (SD 15). Overall, physicians received 96% positive word results. 297 physicians (50%) received all positive responses compared to 1 physician (0.2%) only receiving negative words. Positive word responses showed highly significant correlation with CG-CAHPS measures of top-box scores, r=0.97 p=<0.0001, while negative word responses showed a significant negative correlation with institution percentile rank, r= -0.33 p<0.0001.
Conclusion: The two-word measurement tool shows a significant correlation with current CMS measures, and provides a more concise means of patient response collection. Thematic result rates and visual data provide leadership the opportunity to advocate for high performers and hold accountable those requiring remediation. These results suggest this tool as a valid and efficient method for assessing a patient’s perceptions of their provider.
