ArticleBMC family practice2009
Does patient satisfaction of general practice change over a decade?
Article in BMC family practice, 2009. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Exploring the impact and use of patients' feedback about their care experiences in general practice settings-a realist synthesis.Family practice · 2018Pooled it
- Pitfalls in the statistical examination and interpretation of the correspondence between physician and patient satisfaction ratings and their relevance for shared decision making research.BMC medical research methodology · 2011Trial
- The impact of perceived value, customer expectations, and patient experience on the satisfaction of contracted patients in hospitals.BMC health services research · 2025Article
- Patient experiences with family medicine: a longitudinal study after the Dutch health care reforms in 2006.BMC family practice · 2016Article
- Substitution of outpatient care with primary care: a feasibility study on the experiences among general practitioners, medical specialists and patients.BMC family practice · 2016Article
- Australians with osteoarthritis: satisfaction with health care providers and the perceived helpfulness of treatments and information sources.Journal of multidisciplinary healthcare · 2016Article
- Patients' assessments of the continuity of primary care in Finland: a 15-year follow-up questionnaire survey.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2014Article
- Decreasing trends in patient satisfaction, accessibility and continuity of care in Finnish primary health care - a 14-year follow-up questionnaire study.BMC family practice · 2014Article
- Is the job satisfaction of primary care team members associated with patient satisfaction?BMJ quality & safety · 2011Article
- [Patient satisfaction with the patient-doctor relationship measured using the questionnaire (PDRQ-9)].Atencion primaria · 2010Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe Patient Participation Program (PPP) was a patient satisfaction survey endorsed by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and designed to assist general practitioners in continuous quality improvement (CQI). The survey was been undertaken by 3500 practices and over a million patients between 1994 and 2003. This study aimed to use pooled patient questionnaire data to investigate changes in satisfaction with primary care over time.
methodsThe results of 10 years of the PPP surveys were analyzed with respect to 10 variables including the year of completion, patient age, gender, practice size, attendance at other doctors, and whether the practice had previously undertaken the survey. Comparisons were made using Logistic Generalized Estimating Equations (LGEE).
resultsThere was a very high level of satisfaction with general practice in Australia (99% of respondents). An independent indicator of satisfaction was created by pooling the results of 12 questions. This new indicator had a greater variance than the single overall satisfaction question. Participants were shown to have higher levels of satisfaction if they were male, older, did not attend other practitioners or the practice was small in size. A minimal improvement in satisfaction was detected in this pooled indicator for the second or third survey undertaken by a practice. There was however no statistically significant change in pooled satisfaction with the year of survey.
conclusionThe very high level of satisfaction made it difficult to demonstrate change. It is likely that this and the presentation of results made it difficult for GPs to use the survey to improve their practices. A more useful survey would be more sensitive to detect negative patient opinions and provide integrated feedback to GPs. At present, there are concerns about the usefulness of the PPP in continuous quality improvement in general practice.
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