Abstract
BackgroundPatient experience surveys are increasingly important in the measurement of, and attempts to improve, health‐care quality. To date, little research has focused upon doctors’ attitudes to surveys which give them personalized feedback.AimThis paper explores doctors’ perceptions of patient experience surveys in primary and secondary care settings in order to deepen understandings of how doctors view the plausibility of such surveys.Design, setting and participantsWe conducted a qualitative study with doctors in two regions of England, involving in‐depth semi‐structured interviews with doctors working in primary care (n = 21) and secondary care (n = 20) settings. The doctors in both settings had recently received individualized feedback from patient experience surveys.FindingsDoctors in both settings express strong personal commitments to incorporating patient feedback in quality improvement efforts. However, they also concurrently express strong negative views about the credibility of survey findings and patients’ motivations and competence in providing feedback. Thus, individual doctors demonstrate contradictory views regarding the plausibility of patient surveys, leading to complex, varied and on balance negative engagements with patient feedback.DiscussionDoctors’ contradictory views towards patient experience surveys are likely to limit the impact of such surveys in quality improvement initiatives in primary and secondary care. We highlight the need for ‘sensegiving’ initiatives (i.e. attempts to influence perceptions by communicating particular ideas, narratives and visions) to engage with doctors regarding the plausibility of patient experience surveys.ConclusionThis study highlights the importance of engaging with doctors’ views about patient experience surveys when developing quality improvement initiatives.
Highlights
Patient surveys have become important in recent years, in part due to policy initiatives that emphasize the utility of patient feedback for quality improvement.[1,2,3] In England, patient experience is measured by surveys including the General Practice Patient Survey (GPPS) in primary care and the Inpatient Survey in secondary care.[4]
Aim This paper explores doctors’ perceptions of patient experience surveys in primary and secondary care settings in order to deepen understandings of how doctors view the plausibility of such surveys
Doctors’ contradictory views towards patient experience surveys are likely to limit the impact of such surveys in quality improvement initiatives in primary and secondary care
Summary
Patient surveys have become important in recent years, in part due to policy initiatives that emphasize the utility of patient feedback for quality improvement.[1,2,3] In England, patient experience is measured by surveys including the General Practice Patient Survey (GPPS) in primary care and the Inpatient Survey in secondary care.[4]. If appropriately validated and administered, they capture an important dimension of healthcare quality. Existing research highlights the importance that doctors assign to patient experience in principle and the potential for positive improvements based on patient feedback.[6,7] This work has identified numerous challenges, including concerns about sample size and representativeness, respondent bias, reliability and validity of survey instruments, lack of clarity about the purpose of surveys, contextual sensitivity and challenges of interpreting patient feedback.[3,6,7] Taken together, research shows that these and other concerns have limited the impact of patient feedback in both quality improvement and quality assurance modalities.[4,7]. Patient experience surveys are increasingly important in the measurement of, and attempts to improve, health-care quality. Little research has focused upon doctors’ attitudes to surveys which give them personalized feedback
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