Patient Care Experience
Patient satisfaction surveys play an integral role in helping medical practices quantitatively measure the patient care experience as well as health-care provider/patient communication. The surveys, and the information they yield, enable a practice to monitor its performance and implement quality improvement measures, two elements necessary for providing excellent health care.
As a service to its members and other individuals in the field, the AGA Center for Quality in Practice has developed patient satisfaction tools specifically for gastroenterological practices. After an initial research and review period of existing patient and provider satisfaction tools/surveys related to GI care and services, an advisory group appointed by the center drafted two surveys — one for endoscopy services and another for outpatient office care (non-endoscopy). These surveys were adapted from the Minnesota Gastroenterology Patient Care Experience Survey.
The draft surveys were approved by the AGA Institute Governing Board and posted for public comment in July 2006. The surveys were then revised based on feedback received during the public comment period. The surveys have not yet been validated or tested for reliability beyond the public comment period.
Using the Surveys
The surveys can be downloaded below. Each survey has an unprotected area to add your practice-specific information. Also, there is a line to add the name of the provider the patient saw. You may type a name in or leave it blank for the patient to complete. Once you have added any information in the unprotected areas, you may print and copy the survey.
To further assist you in the survey process, the center has developed a Guide to Patient Sampling. 
Calculating the Mean and Standard Deviation
Many of the questions from the patient satisfaction surveys include rating scales. This will require calculating means and standard deviations for data analysis. This can be done using popular spreadsheet software, such as Microsoft Excel®, or even online calculators. If neither of these is readily available, both the mean and standard deviation of a data set can be calculated using arithmetic formulas. Download brief descriptions of the mean and standard deviation with examples of how to calculate each.
For more information about patient satisfaction surveys or other center initiatives, contact:
Deborah P. Robin, MSN, RN, CHCQM
Senior Director for Quality
AGA Institute Center for Quality in Practice
Phone: 301-941-2615
E-Mail: drobin@gastro.org
