Date of Conferral

8-2-2025

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Health Services

Advisor

Donna Clews

Abstract

Effective doctor communication is an important determinant of patient satisfaction in inpatient units. The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey measures patient satisfaction and influences reimbursement rates under the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program. The purpose of this retrospective quasi-experimental quantitative study was to examine the possible relationship between doctor communication and patient satisfaction in inpatient units in California. The Donabedian framework provided the theoretical framework to examine possible relationships between the variables. Publicly available data were collected from 290 hospitals in California that participated in the HCAHPS survey between July 2022 and June 2023. Results of a simple linear regression analysis showed a statistically significant relationship between doctor communication and patient satisfaction (p < .001), with doctor communication explaining 76% of the variance in satisfaction scores (R² = .759). Recommendations include integrating communication skills into medical education and conducting further research with multivariate models and broader geographic coverage. The findings of this study may drive positive social change by prioritizing doctor communication training and integrating communication skills into medical education and clinical practice to enhance patient satisfaction. This study showed that effective doctor communication enhances patient satisfaction in inpatient settings. The findings support efforts to improve health care quality and equity through better communication practices, contributing to positive social change.

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