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An evaluation of anesthesia patient satisfaction instruments
Donald M Bell1, James R Halliburton, John C Preston
1University of Tennessee, Knoxville, College of Nursing, USA.
AANA Journal
|June 24, 2004
Summary
This systematic review found few anesthesia-specific patient satisfaction studies, noting most used inadequate tools. The Iowa Satisfaction With Anesthesia Scale (ISAS) shows promise but requires further refinement for reliable measurement of anesthesia care quality.
Area of Science:
- Anesthesiology
- Health Services Research
- Patient Experience Measurement
Background:
- Patient satisfaction is a key indicator of healthcare quality.
- Measuring satisfaction with anesthesia care presents unique challenges due to its specific nature.
- Existing instruments for assessing patient satisfaction with anesthesia are often inadequate or lack rigorous validation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review instruments measuring anesthesia-specific patient satisfaction.
- To evaluate the extent to which these instruments control for measurement error and survey design flaws.
- To identify reliable and valid tools for assessing patient satisfaction with anesthesia services.
Main Methods:
- A systematic literature review was conducted on instruments for anesthesia-specific patient satisfaction.
- A novel assessment and evaluation tool, validated for internal reliability and construct validity, was used.
- Instruments were analyzed and scored based on the presence or absence of measurement error in survey design.
Main Results:
- A significant lack of anesthesia-specific patient satisfaction studies was identified.
- Existing studies were characterized by erratic definitions, non-standardization, and imprecise methodology.
- Most reviewed studies employed simple rating forms, insufficient for measuring anesthesia care quality.
- The Iowa Satisfaction With Anesthesia Scale (ISAS) was the first instrument found to incorporate psychometric item construction algorithms, indicating measurement reliability.
Conclusions:
- Current anesthesia-specific patient satisfaction research is limited and lacks standardization.
- Simple rating forms are inadequate for assessing the quality of anesthesia care.
- The Iowa Satisfaction With Anesthesia Scale (ISAS) demonstrates potential but requires further refinement.
- Continued development and search for a superlative instrument for anesthesia patient satisfaction are recommended.