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Original Research
Patient satisfaction with hospital care provided by hospitalists and primary care physicians†
Article first published online: 31 OCT 2011
DOI: 10.1002/jhm.973
Copyright © 2011 Society of Hospital Medicine
Additional Information
How to Cite
Seiler, A., Visintainer, P., Brzostek, R., Ehresman, M., Benjamin, E., Whitcomb, W. and Rothberg, M. B. (2012), Patient satisfaction with hospital care provided by hospitalists and primary care physicians. J. Hosp. Med., 7: 131–136. doi: 10.1002/jhm.973
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Disclosure: Adrianne Seiler, MD, certifies that all coauthors have seen and agree with the contents of the manuscript. Paul Visintainer, PhD, had full access to all of the data in the study and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis. Dr Seiler certifies that none of the authors involved in the study had any potential conflicts of interest nor financial interests. Our study had no funding or sponsorship.
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Tel.: 413-794-4320; Fax: 413-794-1767
Publication History
- Issue published online: 6 FEB 2012
- Article first published online: 31 OCT 2011
- Manuscript Accepted: 13 AUG 2011
- Manuscript Revised: 4 AUG 2011
- Manuscript Received: 22 MAR 2011
Keywords:
- communication;
- continuity of care;
- discharge planning;
- outcomes measurement;
- quality improvement
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Compared to hospital care provided by primary care physicians (PCPs), the hospitalist model provides equal-to-superior efficiency and outcomes; however, little is known about how the model affects patient satisfaction.
METHODS:
Random patient satisfaction telephone interviews were conducted on discharged adult medicine inpatients at 3 Massachusetts hospitals between 2003 and 2009. Questionnaires included variables assessing patient satisfaction with various physician care domains. Patient age, gender, admission year, education level, language, illness severity, emergency room admission status, institution, and attending physician type were extracted from billing records. We used adjusted multivariable models to compare patient satisfaction with hospitalists and PCPs for domains of: physician care quality, physician behavior, pain management, communication.
RESULTS:
Inpatients completed discharge surveys for 8295 encounters (3597 hospitalist, 4698 PCP). Multivariate-adjusted satisfaction scores for physician care quality were slightly higher for PCPs than hospitalists (4.24 vs 4.20, P = 0.04); there was no statistical difference at any individual hospital, and no difference among different hospitalist groups. Patient ratings of hospitalists and PCPs for behavior, pain control, and communication were equivalent (all P values >0.23). In multivariable models, hospitalists and PCPs had similar adjusted proportions in the highest satisfaction category (79.2% vs 80.5%, respectively, P = 0.17) and lowest category (5.1% vs 4.5%, respectively, P = 0.19). Quality ratings of both groups improved equivalently (P slope interaction = 0.47) but significantly over time (PCP 4.21 (2003) to 4.36 (2009), hospitalist 4.11 to 4.33, P Δ <0.001).
CONCLUSIONS:
Patients appear similarly satisfied with inpatient care provided by several hospitalist models and by primary care physicians. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2012;. © 2011 Society of Hospital Medicine.