AMGA adds new distribution methods to Patient Satisfaction Benchmarking Survey

The American Medical Group Association (AMGA) today announced the addition of two new distribution methods to their Patient Satisfaction Benchmarking Survey: Interactive Voice Response (IVR) phone and web-enabled survey distribution methods. In a collaborative venture with Social Science Research Solutions of Media, Pennsylvania, the association adds these new methods to the traditional paper survey that is distributed by reception staff and completed by the patient on-site. The new program will allow patients to respond to the survey off-site and at their leisure.

The Patient Satisfaction Benchmarking Program has been providing feedback on patient satisfaction performance for medical groups since 1996. Survey data collected by participating groups are compiled by AMGA into statistical reports which provide a means for guiding continuous quality improvement with regard to the quality of care being delivered, thereby providing an opportunity to establish a competitive edge in the marketplace. Report features include benchmarks for 15 question items, as well as separate results for different practice sites, various provider specialty and education categories, geographical region, and ultimately down to the individual provider level. Participating medical groups can also add up to three questions of their own creation to the basic survey.

In the past, paper patient satisfaction surveys were distributed, completed, and returned on-site. The surveys would then be shipped to AMGA for processing and analysis. The two new methodologies will give much greater freedom and convenience to participating medical groups by not requiring patients to return to the receptionists' desk after the visit to obtain and complete a survey. Patients will be offered a card containing instructions regarding survey completion, as well as the choice of responding via phone or web. The IVR phone survey is presented by an automated professional voice; patients may respond to question items by responding orally or by pressing numbers on their phone's keypad. Web surveys may be completed on-site, at home, or on any handheld device with an internet connection. Participating groups may also use a variety of survey strategies that best suit their needs: web, phone, paper surveys, or any combination thereof. Raw response data and response rates collected through web and phone surveys will be available to participating medical groups via a web portal in real time, so that they can track the progress of the surveying effort as well as get a sense of the initial results.