Development of a validated patient satisfaction survey for sexual health clinic attendees

Patient satisfaction with health-care services is increasingly being used to evaluate and guide healthcare provision. However, a recent systematic review failed to identify a validated method of measuring patient satisfaction in sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinics. This reveals a clear need for a nationally validated patient-derived outcome measure to assess patient satisfaction within sexual health clinics. This can be used to support the commissioning, monitoring and delivery of services. In a study published by International Journal of STD & AIDS, Picker and Whittall Street Clinic sought to develop a validated patient satisfaction survey for sexual health clinic attendees that could be used as a patient-derived outcome measure.

It’s clear that the healthcare industry must identify areas of patient concern to help clinics prioritise the development and planning of services and resources. Patient satisfaction is crucial in the measurement of service quality, and ensures that commissioners have objective data with which to assess clinical services. Ultimately, further work is needed to determine the impact of patient satisfaction on clinical outcomes such as re-attendance rates or contact tracing success.