Comparison of mailed vs. on-site emergency department patient satisfaction surveys.

Background: Patient satisfaction is one measure of the quality of emergency department (ED) care. The impact of survey delivery method on patient satisfaction in the ED remains unknown.

Objective: We hypothesized that self-administered surveys in the ED would yield a higher response rate and different satisfaction compared to mailed surveys.

Methods: This observational study was conducted during a 2-month period in an urban, tertiary-care, university-based ED. Eligible patients were randomized to either complete an on-site satisfaction survey in the ED at discharge or to complete an identical survey mailed 1 week after discharge. The primary outcome was the reported overall satisfaction of on-site vs. mail-out surveys. Satisfaction was measured using Likert-type scales and dichotomized outcomes were compared using a χ(2) test and logistic regression.

Results: Two hundred and forty-two of 457 eligible patients randomized to the on-site group and 275 of 1152 patients in the mail-out group completed a survey (53% vs. 24%; p < 0.001). Compared with the mail-out group, on-site subjects reported higher overall satisfaction (79.6% vs. 68.9%; p = 0.006), significantly higher satisfaction with their nurses' (p < 0.001) and doctors' listening skills (p < 0.001), and were more likely to recommend this ED to friends or family (71.4%, vs. 56.6%; p = 0.001).

Conclusions: We found that patients who completed satisfaction surveys in the ED reported higher satisfaction than those who received mailed surveys. In addition, measuring patient satisfaction by self-administered on-site surveys at the time of discharge from the ED yields a significantly higher response rate than measuring satisfaction using mailed surveys.