OSMA Patient Satisfaction Program
Patient Satisfaction Survey: Frequently Asked Questions
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Why should my office be interested in patient satisfaction?
What exactly is a patient satisfaction survey?
How can this tool improve my practice?
What is the benefit to using this survey instead of others?
What types of questions does the survey ask?
How will the survey be distributed?
Will we be able to access the survey results?
Will we know who completed the survey?
How will we know which doctor provided the service for each survey response?
What is the cost of the survey?
How can the results of this survey impact our medical liability insurance rates?
Who is able to see my survey results?
Can I view a sample of the survey online?
Why should my office be interested in patient satisfaction?
Research has demonstrated that satisfied patients are less likely to sue physicians than patients that are dissatisfied with the office experience and care they received.
Getting input from your patients is critical to identify the areas that require improvement. Once you identify the problem areas, you can dedicate efforts to make improvements that will have a direct impact on patient satisfaction, thereby reducing your medical liability risk.
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What exactly is a patient satisfaction survey?
A patient satisfaction survey asks patients to respond to questions related to your practice, your staff and the services that you provide. Surveys offer a method to gather critical feedback from your patients in order to make practice improvements.
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How can this tool improve my practice?
By implementing patient satisfaction surveys, you will be provided with valuable insight into your patients' perceptions about your practice and how it runs. Comments may range from input about wait times, office staff courtesy, office hours, etc.
Becoming aware of these issues will allow you to address them and improve your practice. This does not mean that you have to make changes to accommodate all of the requests. However, you should make patients aware of the reasons why some things have to continue to function in the manner that they do. For instance, office hours may need to be restricted on a particular day because the physician has to complete hospital rounds.
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What is the benefit to using this survey instead of others?
The survey was developed by OSMA and a team of individuals with significant knowledge and years of experience in practice management. Using this tool instead of others provides a cost-savings since it is available at no additional cost to OSMA members. Additionally, this survey tool will allow you to benchmark your practice's results with similar practices in Ohio. This will allow you to compare how you are doing against your competition.
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What types of questions does the survey ask?
The survey focuses on various practice procedures and practice areas. Some topics include:
- to access care (waiting times, ease of setting appointments)
- communication between the patient and the office
- responsiveness of the staff
- interactions with the doctor
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How will the survey be distributed?
Your patients will be able to access the survey online, from a home computer, work computer, or from the library. You will be provided with a web address where your survey will be located. You may insert this link into information
that you provide to your patients, into a newsletter, or on printable
templates (i.e., post cards) that will be provided as part of the service.
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Will we be able to access the survey results?
You will be provided with a web address that will allow you to view the individual survey results, as well as aggregate data. The surveys will be anonymous, so you will not be able to determine who completed the survey.
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Will we know who completed the survey?
No, results will remain anonymous.
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How will we know which doctor provided the service for each survey response?
The survey will contain a question that will allow the patient to select the physician that provided the service.
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What is the cost of the survey?
The survey is available to OSMA members at no charge. It is a free service and member benefit.
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How can the results of this survey impact our medical liability insurance rates?
Getting input from your patients is critical to identify the areas that require improvement. Once you identify the problem areas, you can dedicate efforts to make improvements that will have a direct impact on patient satisfaction, thereby reducing your medical liability risk.
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Who is able to see my survey results?
You are the only person with access to your specific survey results. Technical Staff at the OSMA are able to log in and provide help if you have questions, but are never allowed to look at your results without your approval.
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Can I view a sample of the survey online?
Yes,
click here to view a sample survey.
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