Meeting walk-in patients' expectations for testing. Effects on satisfaction

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Patient Experience
• Clinical Decision Making

Background:

• Patient expectations for medical tests are common in walk-in settings.
• Understanding factors influencing patient satisfaction is crucial for healthcare quality improvement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between met patient expectations for tests and overall visit satisfaction.
• To identify key predictors of satisfaction in a walk-in clinic population.

Main Methods:

• A survey was administered to 109 male veterans before and after their visit to a Veterans Affairs walk-in clinic.
• Measurements included health status, satisfaction, test expectations, and perceived provider interpersonal behavior.
• Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the impact of meeting test expectations on satisfaction.

Main Results:

• 62% of patients expected one or more tests.
• Provider humanism was the only significant predictor of visit satisfaction (OR 6.4).
• Meeting test expectations was not significantly associated with patient satisfaction (OR 1.05).

Conclusions:

• Meeting patient expectations for tests does not significantly influence visit satisfaction.
• Provider interpersonal behavior is a more critical factor for satisfaction in walk-in settings.
• Clinicians may reduce unnecessary testing without negatively impacting patient satisfaction.