Association of patient recognition of inpatient physicians with knowledge and satisfaction

Patient recognition of hospital providers is low and may affect patient knowledge and satisfaction with care. Our study aimed to determine the association between patient knowledge of their inpatient providers' face, name, or role with knowledge of their diagnosis, satisfaction with care, and 30-day readmission rate. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of inpatients discharged from medicine housestaff teams from 2008 to 2009. Patients identified providers by face, name, and role and stated their reason for hospitalization. The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey assessed patient satisfaction with care. Eighty-nine of 95 patients (94%) participated. Seventy-five percent of patients recognized one provider face, 28% knew at least one provider name, and 21% correctly stated provider roles. Fifty-seven percent of patients knew their diagnosis. Satisfaction with care via HCAHPS varied: 78% always felt treated with courtesy and respect; 75% felt doctors always listened; and 67% felt complete involvement in care decisions. In bivariate and multivariate analyses, knowledge of providers by face, name, or role was not associated with knowledge of diagnosis, satisfaction, or 30-day readmission rates (all p>.05). Thus, patient recognition of providers was not associated with their knowledge, satisfaction, or readmission.