Evaluating patient satisfaction with the Office of Patient Advocacy.

Patient satisfaction is an important indicator of healthcare quality. Blood and marrow transplantation is a complex but potentially curative procedure for patients with life-threatening hematologic disorders. The Office of Patient Advocacy provides services and health education materials to transplant patients, caregivers, and family members. Satisfaction surveys help identify the specific needs of patients. This article reports findings from surveys administered to patients and family members. Key evaluation areas included: helpfulness of information and services provided and overall satisfaction with Coordinator services. Respondents were asked to describe follow-up actions taken as a result of the information/services provided and to recommend ways to improve these services. Transplant patients face complex treatment with high risks of morbidity, which may impact likelihood of survey response. The findings indicate that satisfied respondents were more likely to self advocate through follow-up actions. Respondent feedback was useful for improving Office of Patient Advocacy services.