Patient satisfaction reporting—a cohort study comparing reporting of patient satisfaction pre- and post-discharge from hospital

Background Patients’ satisfaction reporting is important for assessing the quality of care in surgical practice. Post-discharge questionnaire reporting is considered best practice; however, the logistics of this method remains problematic. Aims To examine patient satisfaction response rates prior to and following discharge from the hospital in a general surgery department. Methods Two patient groups were examined: group 1—questionnaires were completed by patients prior to discharge; and group 2—questionnaires were posted to patients following discharge and were advised to return the questionnaire in a given time frame. The questionnaire design was based on the WHO strategy on measuring responsiveness guidelines tailored to a population of surgical patients. Results Four hundred and fifty patients were examined [group 1 ( N = 150); group 2 ( N = 300)]). Results from pre- and post-discharge questionnaires were similar in almost all parameters. The response rate dropped significantly in group 2, and the cost was also significantly higher. Conclusions There were no significant differences in reporting between pre- and post-discharge questionnaire responses. As pre-discharge reporting is more efficient, less costly and has a higher response rate, this should be considered the preferred practice in patient satisfaction assessments.