Comparison of three visit-specific patient satisfaction instruments: reliability and validity measures and the effect of four methods of data collection on dimensions of patient satisfaction.

The purposes of this study were to evaluate the reliability and validity of three short-form patient satisfaction instruments and to examine the effects of data collection methods on patient satisfaction ratings. With a framework to assess quality of care from the patient's perspective, acceptability, accessibility, patient satisfaction rating, provider recommendation, and patient demographic data were collected using three patient surveys: the Health Outcomes Institute questionnaire (HOI); the Nalle Clinic survey (Nalle); and a commercially marketed survey (COM). The four methods of data collection were (1) receptionist-distributed at check-in, (2) student-distributed at check-out, (3) mail, and (4) phone. Data were collected on a systematically selected sample of 1,840 patients who were appointed in two family practice departments of the Nalle Clinic in Charlotte, North Carolina. From the 925 completed surveys, the results indicated that the HOI instrument scored higher on the reliability and validity measures in this patient sample than the Nalle or COM surveys. Analysis of variance was then conducted on the HOI scores across the four methods of data collection. The conclusion was that the method of data collection did not significantly influence any of the patient satisfaction indicators in the family practice sample.