Patient Satisfaction Survey for Inpatient Tobacco Cessation Treatment

PurposePatient satisfaction is a key principle of high-quality care, important to all health systems. While evidenced-based guidelines recommend tobacco use counseling to all hospitalized patients who use tobacco, scant knowledge exists about patient satisfaction with these services. The Satisfaction with Inpatient Tobacco Treatment Study (1) proposes a novel survey tool to measure patient satisfaction with inpatient tobacco treatment and (2) provides survey results from our hospital's Tobacco Treatment Program.DesignCreation and administration of an 8-item Likert scale survey to assess inpatient tobacco use counseling.Setting/SubjectsA random sample of inpatients who received remote inpatient tobacco use treatment at UNC Health's Tobacco Treatment Program were selected for participation. The survey was administered by telephone and email.MeasuresSurvey items assessed constructs of patient satisfaction, resource availability pre- and post-discharge, the perceived benefits of inpatient tobacco treatment counseling, and patient-reported smoking cessation.AnalysisSurvey responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Fisher's Exact Tests.ResultsThe majority of respondents reported satisfaction with tobacco use counseling. 92% strongly agreed or agreed that the consultations improved their overall hospital experience and 90% said they quit or cut down on their tobacco use after discharge. Results did not vary significantly by race, insurance status, or gender.ConclusionPatient satisfaction with inpatient tobacco cessation treatment was high across multiple domains, as was patient-reported smoking cessation. The survey instrument can be further validated and adapted for program assessment and quality improvement in other tobacco treatment programs.