CHATTING BEHAVIOR AND PATIENT SATISFACTION: RESULTS
A total of 105 eligible patients participated in the survey, and five patients refused. Overall, patients were satisfied with their visit with the provider; 75.6% rated their satisfaction as excellent, and 18.9% as very good. The summed satisfaction with provider score from the VRQ items was 23.40 (range 14-25) for the entire study sample, also indicating a high level of satisfaction. Table 1 depicts the characteristics of the study participants for both chatting and nonchatting groups. The patient group reporting chatting had a higher proportion of nonwhite patients; however, this was an insignificant difference (p=0.280). Sixty-three patients (61.2%) reported chatting from their immediate encounter, and Table 2 presents the themes that were discussed. Chatting behavior that was specific to the patient’s family or friends was the predominant topic, with 43% of patients identifying this theme. A greater percentage of nonwhite patients (30%) than white patients (13%) reporting chatting about family or friends (pO.001). Financial concerns and work-related issues were additional chatting themes not included on the survey but identified by three patients.
Table 1. Characteristics off Study Participants (N=105)
| Characteristic | % or Mean (±SD) Reporting No Chatting | % or Mean (±SD) Reporting Chatting |
P Value |
| Sex |
0.464 |
||
| Female |
26 |
42 |
|
| Male |
11 |
21 |
|
| Age | 44 (16.23) | 42.02 (17.61) |
0.496 |
| Race/Ethnicity |
0.280 |
||
| White |
22 |
22 |
|
| African-American |
13 |
29 |
|
| Hispanic/Latino |
2 |
5 |
|
| Native American |
0 |
2 |
|
| Asian-American |
2 |
2 |
|
| Other |
0 |
1 |
|
| Health Insurance |
0.522 |
||
| Private/Commercial |
25 |
43 |
|
| Medicaid |
6 |
12 |
|
| Medicare |
7 |
6 |
|
| None |
1 |
2 |
|
| Self-Reported Health Status |
0.276 |
||
| Good |
17 |
29 |
|
| Very Good |
12 |
17 |
|
| Fair |
6 |
10 |
|
| Excellent |
1 |
6 |
|
| Poor |
2 |
0 |
|
| Patient Satisfaction Score | 22.79 (2.79) | 23.73 (2.07) |
0.076 |
Table 2. Chatting Behavior Topics Reported in an Urban Family Practice (N=105)
|
Chatting Topic |
% of Totai Respondents |
% of White Respondents |
%of Nonwhite Respondents |
P Value |
| Patient family or friends | 43 |
13 |
30 |
<0.001 |
| Physician family or friends | 11 |
4 |
7 |
0.230 |
| Patient interests or hobbies | 9 |
4 |
5 |
0.537 |
| Patient religion or faith | 4 |
0 |
4 |
0.052 |
| Weather | CO |
3 |
0 |
0.132 |
| News events | 2 |
1 |
1 |
0.738 |
| Physician interest or hobbies | CM |
0 |
2 |
0.233 |
There was no significant difference in the mean summed VRQ satisfaction score between the patient group reporting chatting behavior and the group that did not (23.73 vs. 22.79, p=0.076). There was also no difference in the mean summed VRQ satisfaction score or individual VRQ responses between patients who reported specific chatting topics (e.g., patient family or friends) and those that did not. Table 3 represents a comparison of satisfaction domains for patients who did and did not report chatting during the encounter. There was no significant difference in patient satisfaction scores for any satisfaction domain. canadian drugstore online
Table 3. Chatting Behavior and Patient Satisfaction in an Urban Family Practice (N=105)
|
Satisfaction Domain |
Chatting Reported (%) |
No Chatting Reported (%) |
P Value |
| Personal Manner |
0.101 |
||
| Less satisfied |
7 |
10 |
|
| More satisfied |
54 |
29 |
|
| Technical Skill |
0.377 |
||
| Less satisfied |
10 |
8 |
|
| More satisfied |
52 |
30 |
|
| Length of Time Spent |
0.090 |
||
| Less satisfied |
22 |
19 |
|
| More satisfied |
41 |
18 |
|
| Visit Explanation |
0.321 |
||
| Less satisfied |
11 |
10 |
|
| More satisfied |
51 |
28 |
|
| Overall Visit |
0.352 |
||
| Less satisfied |
13 |
12 |
|
| More satisfied |
48 |
27 |
