Patient Satisfaction Starts With Doctor Satisfaction

There’s an old saying that says, “If you love what you do for a living, you’ll never work a day in your life.” That applies to any field, including the medical field, where a doctor’s compensation includes how satisfied patients feel with his or her service.

Indeed, patient satisfaction ratings are a hot topic these days. Many experts believe that a physician’s satisfaction is at the foundation of the patient. In other words, the happier the doctor is with their work and the hospital they work for; the more satisfied patients are.

The CG-CAHPS

The Clinician & Group Consumer Assessment of Health Care Providers and Systems is a standardized tool used to measure patients’ perception of care by physicians. It measures the patient experience, and takes into account things such as; the timeliness of the appointment, the physician’s communication skills, what the patient thinks about the physician’s staff, and other factors.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality contends that patients who like their physicians are healthier, less expensive, and more compliant than patients who don’t.

It All Starts With the Doctor

The premise is pretty simple: a doctor who feels only somewhat satisfied with their workplace tends to have patients who reflect those feelings. Doctors who work in a happy and less stressful environment will have a strong competitive advantage over doctors who do not. Patients will want to visit the more joyful workplace, and other physicians will want to work there.

Enhancing Doctor Satisfaction

Many things factor into whether a physician feels fully satisfied in their work and workplace, including:

Work-Life Balance

Physician burnout is one of the leading causes of concern in the healthcare industry. Over 40 percent of physicians surveyed in one case study said that they’d personally experienced burnout in the previous year. While there are many causes of burnout, long work hours and excessive bureaucratic tasks were among the main highest ones. Physicians who have flexible scheduling and a strong work-life balance have greater job satisfaction.

Adequate Support

An environment in which the physician feels strongly supported – including staff and supplies – will create a larger physician satisfaction.

Staffing Mix

Physicians need to fully understand the workplace culture, which includes everyone from nurses to administrators, and office staff. For instance, frequent turnover in the nursing staff has a direct influence on patient care and workflow.

Education, and the Opportunity to Advance

Doctors who have access to further training and education – as well as the opportunity to advance – are typically more satisfied than those who don’t.

Physicians are the essential ingredient to everything we do at Concord Medical Group. Our goal is to put doctors in the best possible situation, allowing them to do what they do best, while enabling them to maintain a strong work-life balance. All striving for the result of satisfied patients!