Do information sheets improve patient satisfaction in the out-patient department?

Time spent waiting to see a doctor in the out-patient department is a significant source of dissatisfaction for patients. Out-patient staff are often repeatedly questioned about the running of the clinic and why a delay has developed. These complaints and requests often result in further delays to the clinic.

An information sheet was written to answer these questions. We set out to determine if the distribution of these sheets increased patient satisfaction with waiting times in the outpatient setting. Twelve sequential ENT clinics at the Lister Hospital, Stevenage were randomised into two groups. Patients attending clinics in Group A (n = 103) received an information sheet while those attending clinics in Group B (n = 124) received no information sheet. At the end of their clinic visit, all patients completed a questionnaire in which they were asked to provide a rating of their levels of satisfaction with various experiences in the out-patient department on a rating score from 1 to 5.

We found levels of satisfaction regarding waiting times to be significantly higher in the group who received information sheets (P < 0.001). No verbal complaints were received by the nursing staff at clinics where the information sheet was distributed. Four verbal complaints were received at the clinics where no sheets were distributed.

We believe that the use of information sheets is a cost-effective method of improving patient satisfaction and that this is a useful tool both in the primary care setting and in hospital out-patient departments.