Why Physicians Hate “Patient Satisfaction” but Shouldn't
Authors: Ira S. Nash
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2015)

Ideas and Opinions17 November 2015Why Physicians Hate "Patient Satisfaction" but Shouldn'tIra S. Nash, MDIra S. Nash, MDFrom North Shore–LIJ Health System, Manhasset, New York.Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/M15-1087 Annals Author Insight Video - Ira S. Nash, MD In this video, Ira S. Nash, MD, offers additional insight into his article, "Why Physicians Hate "Patient Satisfaction" but Shouldn't." SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Medicare, the biggest payer of health care bills in the country, recently posted hospital "star ratings" for patient satisfaction online (1), and government-sponsored physician ratings are coming soon (2). These scores will factor into the rates that Medicare uses to pay physicians (3) and hospitals (4) for their services and are based on Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems surveys (5). Commercial insurers are also moving to include survey results in various "pay-for-performance" programs. So, it is no surprise that medical practices and hospitals are making big investments in improving the experience of patients and their families. As organizations ...References1. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Hospital Compare Star Ratings Fact Sheet. Baltimore: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; 2015. Accessed at www.cms.gov/Newsroom/MediaReleaseDatabase/Fact-sheets/2015-Fact-sheets-items/2015-04-16.html on 6 May 2015. Google Scholar2. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Physician Compare Overview: what are the plans for public reporting of quality of care data on Physician Compare? Baltimore: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; 2014. Accessed at www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/physician-compare-initiative/Physician-Compare-Overview.html#4 on 6 May 2015. Google Scholar3. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Value-Based Payment Modifier. Baltimore: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; 2015. Accessed at www.cms.gov/Medicare/Medicare-Fee-for-Service-Payment/PhysicianFeedbackProgram/ValueBasedPaymentModifier.html#CY 2015 on 6 May 2015. Google Scholar4. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Hospital Value-Based Purchasing. Baltimore: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; 2014. Accessed at www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/hospital-value-based-purchasing/index.html?redirect=/hospital-value-based-purchasing on 6 May 2015. Google Scholar5. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. CAHPS Web site. Accessed at https://cahps.ahrq.gov on 6 May 2015. Google Scholar6. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Survey of patients' experiences (HCAHPS). Baltimore: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Accessed at www.medicare.gov/hospitalcompare/Data/Overview.html on 29 June 2015. Google Scholar7. Fenton JJ, Jerant AF, Bertakis KD, Franks P. The cost of satisfaction: a national study of patient satisfaction, health care utilization, expenditures, and mortality. Arch Intern Med. 2012;172:405-11. [PMID: 22331982] doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2011.1662 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar8. Sacks GD, Lawson EH, Dawes AJ, Russell MM, Maggard-Gibbons M, Zingmond DS, et al. Relationship between hospital performance on a patient satisfaction survey and surgical quality. JAMA Surg. 2015. [PMID: 26108091] doi:10.1001/jamasurg.2015.1108 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar9. Derksen F, Bensing J, Lagro-Janssen A. Effectiveness of empathy in general practice: a systematic review. Br J Gen Pract. 2013;63:e76-84. [PMID: 23336477] doi:10.3399/bjgp13X660814 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar10. Peabody FW. The care of the patient. JAMA. 1927;88:877-82. CrossrefGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From North Shore–LIJ Health System, Manhasset, New York.Disclosures: The author has disclosed no conflicts of interest. The form can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M15-1087.Corresponding Author: Ira S. Nash, MD, North Shore–LIJ Health System, 600 Community Drive, Suite 302, Manhasset, NY 11030; e-mail, [email protected]edu.Author Contributions: Conception and design: I.S. Nash.Drafting of the article: I.S. Nash.Critical revision of the article for important intellectual content: I.S. Nash.Final approval of the article: I.S. Nash.This article was published online first at www.annals.org on 8 September 2015. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement Annals Author Insight Video - Ira S. Nash, MD In this video, Ira S. Nash, MD, offers additional insight into his article, "Why Physicians Hate "Patient Satisfaction" but Shouldn't." FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoWhy Physicians Hate "Patient Satisfaction": The Real Reasons Ira S. Nash Why Physicians Hate "Patient Satisfaction": The Real Reasons P. Dileep Kumar Metrics Cited ByThe Patient Experience and SafetyClinical Quality and Patient Experience in the Adult Ambulatory SettingCompeting and conflicting interests in the care of critically ill patientsA multi-year SEM model predicting the impact of behavior attributes on overall patient satisfactionHand Surgery Resources Exceed American Health LiteracyWhy Physicians Hate "Patient Satisfaction": The Real ReasonsP. Dileep Kumar, MD 17 November 2015Volume 163, Issue 10Page: 792-793KeywordsEmotionsGamesHealth careHealth care providersHealth care qualityMedicarePatient advocacyPatientsPrevention, policy, and public healthPrimary hypertension ePublished: 8 September 2015 Issue Published: 17 November 2015 CopyrightCopyright © 2015 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF DownloadLoading ...