Offering comprehensive and complete care is part of the KindlyMD business model. Our services include assistance with the Utah Medical Card along with medication management, pain treatment, mental health services, sleep support, and weight loss. We want patients to feel like they are getting complete care. We also want them to be satisfied.
Are the two related? Does a patient's satisfaction directly align with their perception of complete care? We believe so. We can cite a number of studies suggesting a relationship between satisfaction and care perception, including one published by JAMA Network Open in December 2022.
The study in question enrolled 408 participants who were given the opportunity to undergo bariatric surgery for weight loss. The researchers wanted to know if patient perceptions of quality care impacted their decisions to go forward with the surgery. Interestingly enough, they did. Here are two key quotes from this study:
Patient satisfaction was measured via seven different metrics. General satisfaction was at the top of the list. Other metrics included interpersonal manner, communication, and financial aspects. Researchers even looked at the amount of time patients spent with their doctors.
Patients were asked to report their satisfaction levels using a standard questionnaire. In the end, the data pointed to a simple truth: patients with higher perceptions of satisfaction were more likely to move forward with the surgery than those whose perceptions were lower.
To us, the study lines up nicely with the idea that what a patient thinks impacts how that person feels. It is true for all of us. If we are constantly dwelling on negative thoughts, we are likely to feel certain emotional and physical impacts as a result. The opposite is also true.
So how do we apply this to the concept of complete patient care? At KindlyMD, it is all in our approach. First and foremost, we believe in collaboration between patient and healthcare team. A visit with us should never be little more than spending 10-15 minutes listening to a medical provider lecture and giving instructions. This is not complete care. It is also not collaborative.
We believe in shared decision making. We believe in engaging with patients, educating and informing them, and equipping them to make as many decisions about their own health as they care to. We also believe in personalized treatment plans.
The concept of complete care is neither new nor unique to KindlyMD. It has been part of medicine for many, many years. It has only recently come into its own due to our medical system's shift away from fee-for-service in favor of outcome-based medicine.
Complete care is built on a foundation of every patient being unique. How you feel is unique to you. Any treatment we can recommend should be equally unique. Our main goal is to help you based on your health, your symptoms, and your daily circumstances.
We firmly believe that your perception of the quality and completeness of our care directly impacts your satisfaction and vice versa. The relationship between the two is very real and scientifically documented. If your perceptions of our care are ever negative, please don't hesitate to let us know. We want the opportunity to do things better. Feel free to contact us.
