I had been looking for some time for a validated and useful measure of patient satisfaction and found it in Richard Baker’s CSQ. After some discussion with the author, I adapted it, reducing the number of questions down to nine from the original eighteen. This makes it easier to use and faster to fill in.
I give a pile of 30 questionnaires to the GP registrar in the 3rd or 4th month of training and they ask 30 consecutive patients over 16 years old to fill them in and drop them in the questionnaire box in the waiting room. We usually get over 90% response.
The questionnaire looks at 4 different areas of satisfaction:
- General satisfaction
- Question 1
- Question 3
- Professional care
- Question 2
- Question 4
- Question 5
- Question 6
- Depth of relationship
- Question 7
- Question 9
- Perceived time
- Question 8
This is the revised version of CSQ6, avoiding the repetitive questions. The answers score according to response (ie: 100/75/50/25/0), and the figures on questionnaire give a prompt for the scoring – “negative” questions score in the opposite way to “positive” questions. We use a spreadsheet to collate the scores, using the average score of 30 questionnaires: we have found that there is little difference in the average scores between 30 and 75 questionnaires.
Reference:
Richard Baker: Development of a questionnaire to assess patients’ satisfaction with consultations in general practice:
British Journal of General Practice, 1990, 40, 487-490.
Consultation satisfaction questionnaire
This form contains a list of questions about your views on the last visit you made to the doctor. Please answer all of them. Your answers are anonymous and are kept entirely confidential, so feel free to say whatever you wish. For each question please underline the answer that is nearest your opinion: “Neutral” means you have no feelings either way.
For example:
Example: This doctor listened carefully. Strongly agree / Agree / Neutral / Disagree / Strongly disagree
1 I am totally satisfied with my visit to this doctor.
100 75 50 25 0
Strongly agree / Agree / Neutral / Disagree / Strongly disagree
2 The doctor told me everything about my treatment.
100 75 50 25 0
Strongly agree / Agree / Neutral / Disagree / Strongly disagree
3 Some things about my consultation with the doctor could have been better.
0 25 50 75 100
Strongly agree / Agree / Neutral / Disagree / Strongly disagree
4 The doctor examined me very thoroughly.
100 75 50 25 0
Strongly agree / Agree / Neutral / Disagree / Strongly disagree
5 This doctor was interested in me as a person, not just my illness.
100 75 50 25 0
Strongly agree / Agree / Neutral / Disagree / Strongly disagree
6 I understand my illness much better after seeing this doctor.
100 75 50 25 0
Strongly agree / Agree / Neutral / Disagree / Strongly disagree
7 I felt this doctor really knew what I was thinking.
100 75 50 25 0
Strongly agree / Agree / Neutral / Disagree / Strongly disagree
8 I wish it had been possible to spend a little more time with the doctor.
0 25 50 75 100
Strongly agree / Agree / Neutral / Disagree / Strongly disagree
9 I would find it difficult to tell this doctor about some private things.
0 25 50 75 100
Strongly agree / Agree / Neutral / Disagree / Strongly disagree
Do you have any further comments?
Thank you for your help with this research
Please place the questionnaire in the box provided in the waiting room
or hand it in at reception.