How to Construct a Patient Survey

Quantitative research measures the number of individuals who share particular knowledge or experience or engage in specific actions or behaviors. Medical administrators use patient surveys to determine whether patients utilize a service, for example, or whether the service satisfies patient needs. Program staff take survey responses into account when planning to create or improve services or implement patient-care strategies.

Things You'll Need

• Needs assessment or objectives to be addressed
• Secure database or storage area

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Instructions

• 1

  Determine the objective of the patient survey. Possible objectives include determining the level of patient satisfaction with care; learning whether patients understand medical explanations and their treatments; and finding out why patients do or do not utilize a particular patient education program.

• 2

  Compile a list of questions for the survey. Create each question so that it addresses one aspect of the objectives. Make the list no longer than 20 questions. Construct the survey using the same type of response -- multiple-choice, true-false or short answer, for example -- throughout the questionnaire.

• 3

  Choose a survey method. Options include hand-delivered questionnaires that staff members distribute to patients in person at the end of their appointments, as well as mail, telephone and email surveys.

• 4

  Prepare a time line to determine when the survey will be distributed, collected and reviewed. Build in time for contacting patients who do not respond in order to utilize the largest possible sample before quantifiying responses.