MONDAY, Nov. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Receiving a biosketch of an attending orthopedic trauma surgeon significantly improves patient satisfaction with the quality of care, according to a study published online Oct. 28 in the Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma.
Brent J. Morris, M.D., from Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn., and colleagues evaluated the impact of an intervention aimed to increase patients' understanding of their orthopedic trauma surgeon and thereby improve patient satisfaction. Patients were randomized to an intervention group (100 patients) and received an attending biosketch card, including a picture of the attending orthopedic surgeon and a synopsis of their educational background, specialty, and surgical and research interests, or to a control group (112 patients).
Based on analysis of the 34 patients in the intervention group and 42 patients in the control group who were reached for follow-up, the researchers found that 74 percent of the intervention group reported "excellent overall quality of doctor care," compared with 52 percent of patients in the control group (P = 0.05). Rating of "excellent" was not influenced by age, gender, race, education, insurance status, injury type, or length of hospital stay.
"Clinically significant improvements in satisfaction with the overall quality of inpatient care by the attending surgeon were identified in patients who received a biosketch card of his or her attending orthopedic surgeon," the authors write.
Abstract
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