N.C. Doctors Exceed National Average in Patient Satisfaction
Posted on: Friday, 13 October 2006, 18:01 CDT
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., Oct. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- North Carolina doctors score higher in five key areas of patient satisfaction than doctors in the United States as a whole, but they still have room for improvement, according to statistics compiled by a national doctor-rating Web site.
The Web site, http://www.drscore.com/, released the North Carolina statistics and those for the state's largest cities in conjunction with Healthcare Quality Week, to be observed October 15 - 21 by the National Association for Healthcare Quality.
Based on 2,991 ratings that North Carolina patients have filed with DrScore, North Carolina doctors exceed the national average in patient satisfaction with their doctor, with the quality of their examination, with the timeliness of treatment, with their overall treatment success, and with the quality of their doctor's staff.
On a scale of 1 to 10, North Carolina average scores in these five areas ranged from 7.58 to 7.82, compared with national averages of 7.19 to 7.41. The national averages are based on 20,984 ratings turned in for all U.S. doctors as of Oct. 11.
However, the ratings also show that North Carolina doctors still have room for improvement, particularly when it comes to waiting time and the amount of time they spend with their patients. These two areas received more low scores overall than any other.
"North Carolina doctors can take pride that overall they are doing a good job," said Dr. Steven R. Feldman, the founder of DrScore. "But these averages show that there are still a lot of patients whose expectations are not being met.
"This is why we started DrScore. DrScore gives patients a thoughtful, measured way of giving feedback to their doctors so that doctors can identify specific ways in which they can improve their practice."
DrScore is a free Web site that allows patients to rate their doctor in 16 areas ranging from quality of care to the office staff and facilities. The survey also gives patients an area to make comments about their doctor. These comments are passed on to doctors who subscribe to DrScore's patient-survey service.
In addition, doctors' overall ratings can be looked up for free. Relocated residents can use DrScore to help them choose a doctor in their new community. The site also offers free links to other medical resources.
Among the state's largest cities, patients in Cary reported themselves as the most satisfied with the care provided by their doctors, followed by Winston-Salem, High Point and Greensboro. Patients in Wilmington and Raleigh reported themselves the least satisfied and scored their doctors below the national average.
In Raleigh, a notably higher proportion of patients in the sample linked their lower satisfaction to problems with their ability to see the same doctor on each visit, and with problems in getting care for their family at one practice.
The study included the state's 10 largest cities with at least 25 ratings for doctors. Based on these criteria, Fayetteville, the state's sixth largest city, was omitted. A chart listing the average scores of each city is attached.
Dr. Roger Anderson, Ph.D., the director of research for DrScore, noted that the ratings are a reflection of patient perception and not a scientific measure of competence, and they can be shaped by the number of ratings.
"DrScore exists to give doctors feedback on how their patients score the quality of their care," Anderson said. "And with any survey, the more ratings you have, the more complete a picture you have of the total population. Asheville, Wilmington and Cary had relatively few ratings, and a few low or high scores can have a disproportionate effect on the average.
"Still, our results agree with more rigorous studies showing that perceived continuity and comprehensive care are among the most salient features of health care valued by patients. There is a lot of variability among physicians or practices on these qualities, making it all the more important to select your physician based on known performance."
About DrScore:
DrScore and its Web site, http://www.drscore.com/, are owned and operated by Medical Quality Enhancement Corp., a privately-held company based in Winston- Salem, N.C.; Dr. Steven R. Feldman, M.D, Ph.D, founder. Feldman is an internationally recognized clinical and investigative dermatologist and a leader in public-health advocacy. He is the founder and director of the Center for Dermatology Research, the nation's leading center for health services research in dermatology. Feldman is a professor of dermatology, pathology and public health sciences at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine and has published more than 250 articles in books and peer-reviewed journals.
The DrScore survey was developed by Dr. Roger T. Anderson, Ph.D, an expert in measurement and analysis of health-related quality of life information and healthcare outcomes research. Dr. Anderson specializes in the development and use of computer-based patient satisfaction surveys for primary care and specialty care settings.
Other members of the DrScore team include Nicola Ries Taggart, president; Kimberly Khanna, director of sales; and ARK Digital Creations Inc., which is responsible for digital survey and data management.
National, North Carolina and local Patient Satisfaction Scores Oct. 11, 2006 Overall Overall Overall Overall Overall Doctor Exam Timeliness Treatment Staff Total Location Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating ratings United States 7.28 7.36 7.19 7.08 7.41 20,984 North Carolina 7.77 7.82 7.59 7.58 7.79 3,002 Charlotte 7.52 7.96 7.58 7.48 7.70 76 Raleigh 7.19 7.64 7.49 7.32 7.41 154 Greensboro 7.79 7.83 7.62 7.73 7.73 226 Winston-Salem 7.98 7.97 7.69 7.68 8.00 1,289 Durham 7.78 7.82 7.57 7.04 7.99 94 Cary 8.02 7.78 8.09 7.74 8.15 46 High Point 7.86 7.84 7.63 8.03 8.04 56 Wilmington 6.70 6.67 5.94 6.19 5.95 41 Asheville 7.46 7.33 7.32 7.11 8.09 25
DrScore
CONTACT: Steven R. Feldman, +1-336-577-1164, or pager, +1-336-806-9566,or sfeldman@DrScore.com, or Roger T. Anderson, +1-336-716-7057, orrtanders@wfubmc.edu, or Frank Elliott, +1-336-287-1088, or press@DrScore.com,for DrScore
Web site: http://www.drscore.com/
Source: PRNewswire
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