The Effect of a Single Passive Intervention to Improve Patient Satisfaction in an Orthopaedic Service

Patient satisfaction is a goal of effective health care delivery and its assessment is important to the improvement of health care, especially in the context of a more consumerist culture. Patient education and information has been shown to improve patient satisfaction with care. Lack of sufficient patient information (specifically related to post-discharge care) was identified in our patient population by means of a broad ranging post-discharge satisfaction survey. Targeted intervention, in the form of a discharge information sheet for patients, was trialled with the aim of improving specific satisfaction parameters related to post-discharge care, and overall patient satisfaction. Patient satisfaction was measured for six months before and after the intervention, and data from both groups compared. There was no statistically significant difference in patient satisfaction directly related to the provision of the additional discharge information or overall patient satisfaction between the two groups. Providing patients with specific information alone at discharge is not sufficient to improve overall or discharge-specific patient satisfaction. More active interventions may be required.