A simple, one-page form given to patients ahead of their doctor visit can significantly improve satisfaction with the care they receive, according to a study by Duke Health researchers.
The low-tech tool, which asks for a list of the topics patients wants to discuss during their visit, helps patients focus on what’s important to them. It also asks if all their questions were addressed at the end of the visit and if they were satisfied, giving doctors real-time feedback on how well they’re addressing their patients’ concerns.
“National surveys show that up to half of all patients leave the clinic visit with an unvoiced need,” said Oren Gottfried, M.D., clinical vice chair for quality in the Department of Neurosurgery at Duke University School of Medicine and lead author of a study published in the journal Neurosurgery.