Whose experience is measured?: A pilot study of patient satisfaction demographics in pediatric otolaryngology

• Published in: The Laryngoscope 2014-01, Vol.124 (1), p.290-294
• Main Authors: Nieman, Carrie L., Benke, James R., Ishman, Stacey L., Smith, David F., Boss, Emily F.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Child; Child, Preschool; Customer satisfaction; family-centered care; Female; health disparities; Hospitals; Humans; Infant; Male; medical assistance; minority health care; Otolaryngology; Otorhinolaryngologic Diseases - therapy; patient experience; Patient Satisfaction; patient-centered care; pediatric ambulatory surgery; Pediatrics; Pilot Projects; Quality of service; Surveys and Questionnaires
• ISSN: 0023-852X; 1531-4995
• DOI: 10.1002/lary.24307

Objectives/Hypothesis Despite a national emphasis on patient‐centered care and cultural competency, minority and low‐income children continue to experience disparities in health care quality. Patient satisfaction scores are a core quality indicator. The objective of this study was to evaluate race and insurance‐related disparities in parent participation with pediatric otolaryngology satisfaction surveys. Study Design Observational analysis of patient satisfaction survey respondents from a tertiary pediatric otolaryngology division. Methods Demographics of survey respondents (Press Ganey Medical Practice Survey©) between January and July 2012 were compared to a clinic comparison group using t test and chi‐square analyses. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to assess likelihood to complete a survey based on race or insurance status. Results A total of 130 survey respondents were compared to 1,251 patients in the comparison group. The mean patient age for which the parent survey was completed was 5.7 years (6.1 years for the comparison group, P = 0.18); 59.2% of children were ≤5 years old. Relative to the comparison group, survey respondents were more often white (77.7% vs. 58.1%; P