A recent patient survey comes back, and you find out that you did not meet a patient's expectations as their physician. What are the next steps you would take?
Patient satisfaction surveys are commonplace in any healthcare institution and are put in place to ensure that the best possible care is provided to every patient of the institution. Your patients will fill out satisfaction surveys about your performance, and your team of interviewers poses this question to understand how you will take constructive feedback from a patient's survey and learn from it or how you have handled survey results in practice in the past.
If you were to ask any physician if they have ever received critical feedback on a patient survey, the answer would be a resounding yes. The goal in answering this question is to demonstrate to your interviewers that you can take the feedback, analyze it, and use it as motivation to improve the care you provide moving forward. Remember that most patient feedback is anonymous, and you may not be able to pinpoint the exact interaction that resulted in the feedback from the patient. If possible, discuss any direct feedback you've received on patient surveys as you answer this question.
"I love that my current institution surveys patients about the care we provided, and I have always taken feedback constructively. Early in my career, I had patients say that my approach was too stern for their liking. This helped me reflect on my approach, and my patient surveys have been top notch since."
Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.
Anonymous Answer
I would first like to review the feedback and self-reflect on my interactions and management of this patient and their care. I am always happy to take on any feedback and adjust my communication style and management accordingly. If there are major concerns, I would ideally like to offer the patient an appointment to discuss their concerns directly so I can personally address them and in order to help them and future patients.
Krista's Feedback
Your response shows you are open to feedback and adjusting your communication style when needed. Great answer!
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