Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 27, 2026
E-Patient Counseling Trial E-PACO: Computer Based Education versus Nurse Counseling for Patients to Prepare for Colonoscopy
Published on: August 1, 2019
Predictors of Patient Satisfaction in Pediatric Oncology
Josh Davis1, James F Burrows2, Bertha Ben Khallouq3
11 Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, PA, USA.
Insights
Patient satisfaction in pediatric cancer care is driven by a cheerful, collaborative team and manageable wait times. Improving these elements can enhance the overall family experience in oncology practices.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Patient Experience Research
- Healthcare Management
Background:
- Patient satisfaction is crucial in healthcare settings, particularly in pediatric hematology/oncology.
- Understanding patient perspectives is key to improving care delivery and outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify the primary factors influencing patient satisfaction within pediatric hematology/oncology practices.
- To correlate various survey items with overall patient satisfaction to pinpoint key drivers.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of "top-box" scores from 1244 patient satisfaction surveys collected between 2012 and 2014.
- Utilized "Likelihood of recommending practice" as a surrogate for overall satisfaction.
- Correlated all other survey items to this primary satisfaction metric.
Main Results:
- The strongest predictors of overall patient satisfaction were a cheerful practice environment (r=.69), wait time (r=.60), and staff collaboration (r=.60).
- Areas with the lowest scores included ease of reaching the clinic by phone, communication about delays, and clinic wait times.
Conclusions:
- Families prioritize a positive and collaborative interaction with the medical team during pediatric cancer care.
- Wait times significantly impact the overall patient and family experience.
- Evidence-based improvements in practice environment and operational efficiency are recommended to enhance patient satisfaction.
Objective:
To understand key drivers of patient satisfaction in pediatric hematology/oncology.
Methods:
The "top-box" scores of patient satisfaction surveys from 4 pediatric hematology/oncology practices were collected from 2012 to 2014 at an integrated Children's Health Network. One item, "Likelihood of recommending practice," was used as the surrogate for overall patient satisfaction, and all other items were correlated to this item.
Results:
A total of 1244 satisfaction surveys were included in this analysis. The most important predictors of overall patient satisfaction were cheerfulness of practice ( r = .69), wait time ( r = .60), and staff working together ( r = .60). The lowest scoring items were getting clinic on phone, information about delays, and wait time at clinic.
Conclusion:
Families bringing their children for outpatient care in a hematology/oncology practice want to experience a cheerful and collaborative medical team. Wait time at clinic may be a key driver in the overall experience for families with children with cancer. Future work should be directed at using this evidence to drive patient experience improvement processes in pediatric hematology/oncology.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Nursing Ethical Principles II
Consider the following scenario, which illustrates how these principles are applied in the care of Mr. John, a fifty-year-old teacher diagnosed with metastatic liver cancer.
Initially, Mr. John's...
01:21Cancer Survival Analysis
01:24Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Metabolism
01:26Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion
01:23Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption
01:16Kidney Transplant III: Nursing Management