The doctor on the patient's turf: assessing patient satisfaction with physician home visit programs

We evaluated a physician home visit program (n = 23 patients) focusing on program implementation and quality. Quality was measured by evaluating patient satisfaction with services using a patient satisfaction scale and interviews with patients, caregivers, and providers. Scale results showed patients expressed the highest satisfaction with access to routine care and physician consideration. Patients expressed less satisfaction with access to emergency care and continuity of care. Physician communication and integration with home- and community-based service providers were other areas of concern. Recommendations include enhancing physician communication skills in the home, providing care for urgent medical conditions, improving chart documentation, and incorporating community-based chronic care experts into the program.