Rob LeFevere, MD; Josh Salzman, MA; Kurt Isenberger, MD

1. Rate of Formal Patient Complaints Following the Completion of an Emergency Department Satisfaction Telephone Survey Rob LeFevere, MD; Josh Salzman, MA; Kurt Isenberger, MD

2. Conflicts • None of the authors have any financial conflicts

3. Background • Patient satisfaction callback surveys are becoming more common • The effect of patient callbacks on the number of formal patient complaints is not known

4. Goal • Determine the rate of formal complaints filed by patients who completed a telephone satisfaction survey compared to those who were called but not reached

5. Methods • Retrospective observational review • Single, urban Level 1 Trauma with an EM residency • All English and Spanish speaking patients who were discharged were called by a third party vendor • Formal complaint rates of patients who were called and completed the survey were compared to those who were called but not reached

6. Results • 73,069 patients were called over an 18 month period • 40,487 patients were called and completed the survey • 32,582 patients were called but not reached • 105 total formal complaints

7. Results

8. Discussion • Rate of complaints was low overall • Phone surveyors did provide a phone number to file a formal complaint if they were asked

9. Future Directions • Demographics • Diagnoses • Workup or treatment

10. Limitations • Single center • English and Spanish speaking patients • Discharged patients • Patients who were reached might have had better access to phones

11. Conclusion • Patients who completed a telephone satisfaction survey filed formal complaints at a higher rate than those who were called but not reached