An Innovational Model to Manage Patient Expectations and Improve Patient Satisfaction: An Intervention Study

This new model to manage patient expectations was developed based on our international study conducted in four countries. The model is designed to address the main issues that lie at the core of initiatives to manage patient expectations and improve patient satisfaction. It is a structured interventional set of activities, which gives the clinician an opportunity to meet patient expectations and needs and thereby, improve patient satisfaction.

The interventional model comprise teachable-learnable communicative steps occurring between the clinician and the patient which are: Gather information on the patient's expectations and perception of the hospitalization, Respond, Provide relevant information and Document the intervention.

The intervention includes all frontline care givers; however, most of the activities will be done by the nursing staff. The set of activities will be executed by the nurses at three separate periods of time during the patient's hospitalization: time of admission, intermediate time and at time of discharge.

The study is based on the hypothesis that a structured interventional model will significantly improve patient satisfaction during hospitalization.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Patient Satisfaction; Patient-Centered Care
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: PSactive model; Other: No treatment

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 835
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Denmark
  • Aarhus, Denmark, 8000
    • Aarhus University Hospital

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• all patient older than 17 years who are able to express their expectations and needs to the clinicians and further have the ability to understand and fill in a questionnaire

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients who are demented

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: PSactive model; The model is designed to address the main issues that lie at the core of initiatives to manage patient expectations and improve patient satisfaction. It is a structured interventional set of activities, which gives the clinician an opportunity to meet patient expectations and improve patient satisfaction. The interventional model is comprised of teachable-learnable interpersonal communicative steps occurring between the clinician and the patient which are: Gather information on the patient's expectations and perception of the hospitalization, respond, provide relevant information and document the intervention.	Other: PSactive model; The model is designed to address the main issues that lie at the core of initiatives to manage patient expectations and improve patient satisfaction. It is a structured interventional set of activities, which gives the clinician an opportunity to meet patient expectations and improve patient satisfaction. The interventional model is comprised of teachable-learnable interpersonal communicative steps occurring between the clinician and the patient which are: Gather information on the patient's expectations and perception of the hospitalization, respond, provide relevant information and document the intervention.
Experimental: No treament; Usual routine in the department	Other: No treatment; Patients in this arm receive the usual routine in the department.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Level of satisfaction with the hospitalization.	We will use the Danish National Patient Satisfaction Survey Instrument(20 questions)supplemented with 17 validated questions related to patient expectations, satisfaction and demographic data. The primary question is: In general, to what extent did your entire experience during the hospitalization meet your expectations? Using any number from 0 to 10, where 0 represents that your expectations were completely unmet and 10 represents that your expectations were completely met - what number would you use to rate this hospital stay?	A questionnaire will be handed directly to the included patients after discharge has been ordered by a physician. The time frame for outcome measuring is anticipated to be within an average of 1-6 hours before the patient leaves the department.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Aarhus
• Collaborators: Aarhus University Hospital
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Ronen Rozenblum, PhD, Division of General Internal Medicine, Brigham and Womens Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 1620 Tremont Street, BS-3, Boston 02120, USA

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Rozenblum R, Lisby M, Hockey PM, Levtizion-Korach O, Salzberg CA, Lipsitz S, Bates DW. Uncovering the blind spot of patient satisfaction: an international survey. BMJ Qual Saf. 2011 Nov;20(11):959-65. doi: 10.1136/bmjqs-2011-000306. Epub 2011 Sep 22.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: March 1, 2012
• Primary Completion (Actual): October 1, 2012
• Study Completion (Actual): October 1, 2012

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 13, 2012
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 24, 2012
• First Posted (Estimate): March 2, 2012

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): March 6, 2013
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 5, 2013
• Last Verified: March 1, 2013

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Hospitalization; Patient Satisfaction; Patient-Centered Care; Interventional study; Patient Expectations
• Other Study ID Numbers: Patient-Centered care; AUH (Aarhus University Hospital)