Back to Search
Start Over
Calling the GP surgery: patient burden, patient satisfaction, and implications for training
- Publication Year :
- 2016
- Publisher :
- Royal College of General Practitioners, 2016.
-
Abstract
- Background Good communication is central to the effectiveness of GP service provision, as well as to patient satisfaction with surgeries, but very little is known about the actual communication that occurs between patients and surgeries. Aim This study was carried out to examine, for the first time, how receptionists interact with patients on the telephone, to identify features of communication associated with efficacy and patient satisfaction. Design and setting A qualitative conversation analysis of incoming patient telephone calls, recorded ‘for training purposes’, in three English GP surgeries. Method Data were analysed qualitatively to identify effective communication, then coded to establish the relative prevalence of communication types across each surgery. Results Analysis identified a burden on patients to drive calls forward and achieve service. ‘Patient burden’ occurred when receptionists failed to offer alternatives to patients whose initial requests could not be met, or to summarise relevant next actions (for example, appointment, call-back, or other query) at the end of calls. Coding revealed that ‘patient burden’ frequency differed across the services. Increased ‘patient burden’ was associated with decreased satisfaction on published satisfaction survey scores. Conclusion Patients in some practices have to push for effective service when calling GP surgeries. Conversation analysis specifies what constitutes (in)effective communication. Findings can then underpin receptionist training and improve patient experience and satisfaction.
- Subjects :
- medicine.medical_specialty
Attitude of Health Personnel
General Practice
Coding (therapy)
03 medical and health sciences
Appointments and Schedules
0302 clinical medicine
Patient satisfaction
GP surgery
General Practitioners
Patient experience
medicine
Humans
030212 general & internal medicine
Referral and Consultation
Service (business)
business.industry
030503 health policy & services
Research
Communication
Receptionists
Professional-Patient Relations
Medical Receptionists
United Kingdom
Telephone
Patient burden
Conversation analysis
Patient Satisfaction
Family medicine
business.job_title
0305 other medical science
Family Practice
business
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....c0acae77cdf37a942b5b36c2b4c2bbd9