Factors Influencing Patient Satisfaction in Plastic Surgery: A Nationwide Analysis

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Patient Experience Research
• Plastic Surgery Outcomes

Background:

• Patient satisfaction surveys are crucial in healthcare, influencing physician practices and organizational performance.
• Press Ganey tools are widely adopted, used by 50% of US hospitals and over 10,000 healthcare organizations.
• Understanding factors influencing patient satisfaction is vital for healthcare providers, especially in competitive fields like plastic surgery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify key factors influencing patient satisfaction in plastic surgery.
• To evaluate these factors on both local and national levels.
• To correlate patient satisfaction with specific survey items, including likelihood to recommend.

Main Methods:

• A 24-item Press Ganey survey was administered to patients of 686 plastic surgeons nationwide.
• Data from January to December 2016 were analyzed retrospectively using Pearson correlation coefficients.
• The "likelihood to recommend provider" and "likelihood to recommend practice" items were used as surrogates for overall satisfaction.

Main Results:

• Analysis included 411 responses from Northwell Health System and 36,836 nationally.
• Provider confidence and concern for patient questions showed the strongest correlation (r > 0.8) with recommendation likelihood.
• Wait time and staff courtesy had weaker correlations (r < 0.5) with recommendation likelihood.

Conclusions:

• Patient confidence and trust in the provider are paramount for loyalty and market share.
• These factors are more critical than the office environment in a patient-centric healthcare model.
• Findings emphasize the importance of the provider-patient relationship in plastic surgery outcomes.