German Clinical Trials Register

Acronym/abbreviation of the study

HappiER

URL of the study

No Entry

Brief summary in lay language

In the past, the role of the patient changed from passive recipients to sceptical consumer of medical services. Multiple studies concerning this matter exist already in international literature. However, none of the papers covers the specific study group of outpatients in a German accident and emergency department (A&E Department) with the intended survey techniques. Another aspect showing the relevance of this issue is the fact that a pleased patient will presumably opt again for a hospital treatment (that) he was satisfied with during his last visit. Other researchers assume that satisfaction has an impact on a repeated utilisation of an institution. The evaluation of patient satisfaction is still an essential part of quality management of patient care and it is amongst others demanded by the “gemeinsamen Bundesausschuss” (G-BA). Furthermore, patient satisfaction can be used as a measure of the success of the implementations of actions. A particular difficulty is that “patient satisfaction” is an entirely subjective perception and experience of a patient, whereby the accuracy and validity of a measurement can be affected. Considering all these aspects, it has become all the more important for attending physicians to deal with the issue of patient satisfaction. Despite the above shown general significance of patient satisfaction, barely any relevant publications exist, considering especially the interdisciplinary A&E Department. In this study two different kinds of surveys relating to patient satisfaction are to be tested: A questionnaire with "conventional, closed" questions, and the so-called "willingness to pay" method. A final argument for regular patient surveys is the higher compliance of satisfied patients with recommended therapies. Therefore, from a medical point of view it seems important that the patient leaves the emergency room satisfied. To ensure this, a prognosis model is to be developed which identifies potentially dissatisfied patients using routine data / process data (or a pain anamnesis) of patient care. If this step succeeds, the attending team would be able to initiate pre-emptively active countermeasures such as special education or explanation. Objectives of the study and expected clinical use 1. Validation of a questionnaire with the conventional question style aiming at distinguish dissatisfied from satisfied patients of an A&E Department. 2. Verification of the conformity of the results of the newly developed questionnaire with the new "willingness to pay" - method, based on the recording of patient satisfaction. 3. Development of a prognosis model to predict patient satisfaction, using process and routine data of intra clinical care in an emergency room

Brief summary in scientific language

In the past, the role of the patient changed from passive recipients to sceptical consumer of medical services. Multiple studies concerning this matter exist already in international literature. However, none of the papers covers the specific study group of outpatients in a German accident and emergency department (A&E Department) with the intended survey techniques. Another aspect showing the relevance of this issue is the fact that a pleased patient will presumably opt again for a hospital treatment (that) he was satisfied with during his last visit. According to Pukies et al., in the US, researchers assume that satisfaction has an impact on a repeated utilisation of an institution. The evaluation of patient satisfaction is still an essential part of quality management of patient care and it is amongst others demanded by the “gemeinsamen Bundesausschuss” (G-BA). Furthermore, patient satisfaction can be used as a measure of the success of the implementations of actions. A particular difficulty is that “patient satisfaction” is an entirely subjective perception and experience of a patient, whereby the accuracy and validity of a measurement can be affected. Considering all these aspects, it has become all the more important for attending physicians to deal with the issue of patient satisfaction. According to Leimkuehler et al., it is proven that the subjective perspective is of great significance for the treatment process and for a stronger patient orientation. Despite the above shown general significance of patient satisfaction, barely any relevant publications exist, considering especially the interdisciplinary A&E Department. In this study two different kinds of surveys relating to patient satisfaction are to be tested: A questionnaire with "conventional, closed" questions (Likert scale), and the so-called "willingness to pay" method. In this context, the latter is a new method of survey. So far it has mostly been used for product review and evaluation. In medicine it was used for e.g. the evaluation of different treatments of Angina Pectoris symptoms, psoriasis or as nausea and vomiting in the postoperative period (PONV). A final argument for regular patient surveys is the higher compliance of satisfied patients with recommended therapies. Therefore, from a medical point of view it seems important that the patient leaves the emergency room satisfied. To ensure this, a prognosis model is to be developed which identifies potentially dissatisfied patients using routine data / process data (or a pain anamnesis) of patient care. If this step succeeds, the attending team would be able to initiate pre-emptively active countermeasures such as special education or explanation. Objectives of the study and expected clinical use 1. Validation of a questionnaire with the conventional question style aiming at distinguish dissatisfied from satisfied patients of an A&E Department. 2. Verification of the conformity of the results of the newly developed questionnaire with the new "willingness to pay" - method, based on the recording of patient satisfaction. 3. Development of a prognosis model to predict patient satisfaction, using process and routine data of intra clinical care in an emergency room