Original Articles
Factors influencing patient satisfaction with GI endoscopy,☆☆,

Presented as a poster at Digestive Disease Week, May 21-24, 2000, San Diego California (Gastrointest Endosc 2000;51:AB77).
https://doi.org/10.1067/mge.2001.115337Get rights and content

Abstract

Background: A modified Group Health Association of America-9 survey (mGHAA-9) was recently proposed for measurement of patient satisfaction with endoscopy. It is unknown whether the mGHAA-9 addresses the issues most important to this outcome. Methods: A 15-item survey of factors potentially important to patient satisfaction with endoscopy was developed, including the 6 core mGHAA-9 items. Respondents were asked to rank the factors from 1 to 15 (1 = most important to l5 = least important to satisfaction). Two groups were surveyed: (1) patients with prior endoscopy experience and (2) physician endoscopists. Item rank distributions overall and by patient age, gender, and procedure experience were examined. Results: Of 559 outpatients surveyed, 437 (78%) provided complete responses. The mean patient age was 59 years (48.7% female, 45.3% male, 6% not stated). The number 1 ranked factor was the endoscopist's technical skills (median ranking (mr) = 1), an item included in the mGHAA-9. Pain control, a factor not assessed by the mGHAA-9, was second (mr = 4), and ranked number 1 by 16% of patients. Item rankings were consistent across patient subgroups. Relative to patients, endoscopists underprioritized preprocedure and postprocedure communication. Conclusions: The mGHAA-9 has inadequate content validity for measurement of patient satisfaction with endoscopy because it does not assess pain control. However, endoscopy satisfaction measurement with a single, universally applied instrument appears feasible. (Gastrointest Endosc 2001;53:703-10.)

Section snippets

Questionnaire

The original Group Health Association of America (GHAA) instrument, a commonly used patient satisfaction survey, consists of 60 items in the following sections: satisfaction with health care services and providers, general satisfaction with care, satisfaction with health plan, health insurance and use of services, and personal characteristics.6 The GHAA-9, a 9-item subscale of the original instrument, was modified (resulting in the mGHAA-9) by the ASGE to make it applicable to measurement of

Results

A total of 559 outpatients scheduled for GI endoscopy were surveyed. The responses of 122 (22%) patients were excluded because of uninterpretable rankings. The primary reason for exclusion was that patients ranked nearly all items with a 1, some stating that they could not distinguish the relative importance. Others left 12 or more of the items blank. These 122 patient surveys were omitted from analysis. The item rankings of the remaining 437 patients comprised the data for analysis. Based on a

Discussion

The satisfaction of our patients in endoscopy is a key indicator of the quality of the service provided. Patient satisfaction will become an increasingly important outcome measure for GI endoscopy as screening initiatives intensify. With regard to colorectal cancer screening, to ensure that a substantial proportion of the eligible population is compliant it will be necessary to focus on providing a satisfactory endoscopic experience.8, 9

Current knowledge of the factors most relevant to the

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Suppported by Endoscopic Outcomes and Effectiveness Developmental Research Award from the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) and the American Digestive Health Foundation (ADHF).

☆☆

Reprint requests: G. Richard Locke III, MD, Mayo Clinic, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, W. 19A Mayo Bldg., 200 1st St. SW, Rochester, MN 55905.

Gastrointest Endosc 2001;53:703-10

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