Patient Satisfaction with Clinical Services Can Affect Treatment Outcomes

Newswise — CHICAGO, Dec. 18, 2013 – Patient assessment of clinical services quality was shown to be an independent predictor of survival for colorectal cancer patients in a study recently published in the Journal of Healthcare Quality, the peer reviewed publication of the National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ), www.nahq.org.

Seven hundred patients treated for colorectal cancer at three Cancer Treatment Centers of America hospitals completed service quality questionnaires measuring their levels of satisfaction with hospital operations and services, physicians and staff, and contained patient endorsements. Overall patient experience was measured by asking, “Considering everything, how satisfied are you with your overall experience with the institution?”

Survey responses were correlated with median patient survival time from survey completion. The results showed the median survival for “completely satisfied” and “not completely satisfied” patients were 23.1 and 18.8 months, respectively. The median survival for the entire patient cohort was 20.9 months.

Lead author Digant Gupta, MD, MPH, research scientist for Cancer Treatment Centers of America, believes the findings show the importance of patients’ perceptions of the care they receive in extending cancer survival. “When patients feel well cared for and supported, they experience positive emotions that may favorably influence biologically relevant factors, such as enhanced immune function.” He added that the study is the first to report on the association between patient experience with service quality and survival in a large sample of patients with colorectal cancer.

About the Journal for Healthcare QualityThe Journal for Healthcare Quality (JHQ) is the first choice for creative and scientific solutions in the pursuit of healthcare quality. JHQ is peer reviewed and published six times a year. JHQ publishes scholarly articles targeted to leaders of all healthcare settings, leveraging applied research and producing practical, timely, and impactful evidence in healthcare system transformation covering topics in: quality improvement, patient safety, performance measurement, best practices in clinical and operational processes, innovation, leadership, information technology, spreading improvement, sustaining improvement, cost reduction, and payment reform.

About NAHQFounded in 1976 and covering a full spectrum of healthcare specialties, the National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ) is an essential and interactive resource for quality and patient safety professionals worldwide. NAHQ’s vision is to realize the promise of healthcare improvement through innovative practices in quality and patient safety.

NAHQ’s 12,000-plus members and certificants benefit from cutting edge education and NAHQ’s unique collective body of knowledge, as well as opportunities to learn from a diverse group of professionals. These resources help assure success for implementing improvements in quality outcomes and patient safety, navigating the changing healthcare landscape, and serving as the voice of quality. Visit www.nahq.org to learn more.

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