[Targeted methods for measuring patient satisfaction in a radiological center]

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Healthcare Quality Improvement
• Patient Experience Research

Context:

• Patient satisfaction is crucial for healthcare service delivery.
• Evaluating patient satisfaction in radiological services requires effective methodologies.
• Outpatient computed tomography (CT) examinations are a common radiological procedure.

Purpose:

• To investigate and compare two event-oriented methods for evaluating patient satisfaction with radiological services.
• To assess the effectiveness of the critical incident technique (CIT) and sequential incident technique (SIT) in capturing patient feedback.
• To determine which method provides more detailed insights into patient perceptions of CT examinations.

Summary:

• A study involving 159 patients undergoing CT examinations compared the critical incident technique (CIT) with the sequential incident technique (SIT).
• Patients using CIT provided 356 comments, categorized into staff interaction, organization, examination, and setting.
• The sequential incident technique (SIT), using a flowchart, elicited significantly more detailed feedback (1413 statements), with 66% positive comments, offering specific areas for service enhancement.

Impact:

• Both CIT and SIT are suitable for measuring patient satisfaction in radiological services.
• Negative feedback from patients directly informs strategies for improving service quality.
• Positive feedback validates existing procedures, while detailed negative comments pinpoint areas for enhancement.