Emergency department complaints: a one-year analysis.

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Healthcare Administration
• Patient Experience

Background:

• Patient complaints provide valuable insights into healthcare service quality.
• Standardized analysis of complaints is crucial for identifying areas of improvement in emergency departments (EDs).

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the frequency and characteristics of patient complaints in a suburban emergency department in 1985.
• To identify factors associated with a higher risk of complaints.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective analysis of all complaints received in 1985.
• Complaints were categorized (billing, physician, nursing, miscellaneous) and analyzed by various patient and complaint characteristics.
• Complaint frequency was calculated per 1,000 patient visits, and the chi-square method identified significant associations.

Main Results:

• An overall complaint frequency of 3.8 per 1,000 visits (244 complaints from 64,910 visits).
• Billing complaints were most frequent (frequency 2.0), often related to insurance rejection or overcharging.
• Physician-related complaints (frequency 1.1) included communication issues and perceived misdiagnosis; one physician had a significantly higher complaint rate.
• Nursing staff and miscellaneous complaints were less frequent.

Conclusions:

• Billing and physician-related issues were primary drivers of patient complaints in this 1985 ED.
• Calculating complaint frequency allows for standardized comparisons across different departments and time periods.
• This data can inform targeted interventions to enhance patient satisfaction and ED operations.