Comparison of mailed vs. on-site emergency department patient satisfaction surveys

Patient satisfaction is one measure of the quality of emergency department (ED) care. The impact of survey delivery method on patient satisfaction in the ED remains unknown.

We hypothesized that self-administered surveys in the ED would yield a higher response rate and different satisfaction compared to mailed surveys.

This observational study was conducted during a 2-month period in an urban, tertiary-care, university-based ED. Eligible patients were randomized to either complete an on-site satisfaction survey in the ED at discharge or to complete an identical survey mailed 1 week after discharge. The primary outcome was the reported overall satisfaction of on-site vs. mail-out surveys. Satisfaction was measured using Likert-type scales and dichotomized outcomes were compared using a χ(2) test and logistic regression.

Two hundred and forty-two of 457 eligible patients randomized to the on-site group and 275 of 1152 patients in the mail-out group completed a survey (53% vs. 24%; p < 0.001). Compared with the mail-out group, on-site subjects reported higher overall satisfaction (79.6% vs. 68.9%; p = 0.006), significantly higher satisfaction with their nurses' (p < 0.001) and doctors' listening skills (p < 0.001), and were more likely to recommend this ED to friends or family (71.4%, vs. 56.6%; p = 0.001).

We found that patients who completed satisfaction surveys in the ED reported higher satisfaction than those who received mailed surveys. In addition, measuring patient satisfaction by self-administered on-site surveys at the time of discharge from the ED yields a significantly higher response rate than measuring satisfaction using mailed surveys.