Patient Satisfaction With Postoperative Communication Modality

Surgery

Communication between a surgeon and a patient in the immediate postoperative period is thought to influence patient satisfaction. There is currently no standard of care regarding the optimal form of postoperative communication, nor is there a consensus in our department as to which modality is preferred by patients.The purpose of this study is to determine which form of communication, if any, is preferred by patients. Furthermore, this study aims to evaluate the impact that various forms of communication during the immediate postoperative period have on patient (subject) satisfaction. The study hypothesizes that patient (subject) satisfaction with their surgeon will be highest among those who communicate with their surgeons via videotelephony (i.e., videoconferencing) and that the lowest satisfaction will be among patients (subjects) who did not communicate with their surgeon until their regularly scheduled postoperative office visit. The results of this study may help identify low cost methods for increasing patient satisfaction.

This is a prospective, randomized study designed to evaluate the effects of different communication modalities between surgeons and patients (subjects) in the immediate postoperative period. Given the nature of the study, it is not possible for either the surgeons or the subjects to be blinded. To reduce bias that may occur due to each surgeon's personal preference for postoperative communication modality, the surgeons (rather than individual subjects) will be randomized to one of the three communication modality groups (no communication on the day of surgery, voice call, or videoconferencing).

No related papers found yet.

United States