The Netherlands journal of medicine
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Comparative Study
Physician race and specialty influence Press Ganey survey results.
The Press Ganey survey is widely used to evaluate physician and institution quality and performance, with some institutions making their survey results publicly available. However, given its subjective nature, the survey results may be subject to bias regarding physician characteristics, such as race, sex, and specialty, that are unrelated to competence. The goal of this study was to determine if and what physician characteristics influence Press Ganey results. ⋯ These results suggest that physician race and specialty choice impact Press Ganey results. Given that neither race nor specialty influence physician competence, this data suggests that the Press Ganey survey is a biased measure of physician quality and should not be used to evaluate physician skill or ability.
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Observational Study
Perspectives on the preventability of emergency department visits by older patients.
Older people increasingly demand emergency department (ED) care. ED visits have a profound impact on older patients, including high risk of adverse outcomes and loss of independency. In this study, we evaluated the opinions of patients, caregivers, general practitioners, and ED physicians on the preventability of ED visits. ⋯ Patients and caregivers consider an ED visit preventable less frequently than professionals do. Little consensus was found among patients and healthcare providers, and the perspectives on contributing factors to a preventable visit differ between groups. To help improve geriatric emergency care, future studies should focus on why these perspectives are so different and aim to align them.