Performance analysis and quality monitoring are essential to any organization to ensure programs and different organizational activities are all aligned and functioning according to the desired plan. One of the best indications and commonly used is patients’ satisfaction and feedback; hence, the widespread use of surveying techniques. Likert scales, especially, have been very helpful in this regard due to their simplicity, ease to conduct and interpret, and high specificity as to which aspects are being measured. In fact, surveying before and after implementing changes proves very helpful as it indicates the level of success or failure. So, what is the composition of a Likert scale and what are the opportunities and limitations of this survey instrument?
Origin and composition of Likert scale
The way attitudinal research has changed greatly since Likert, R. introduced his scale in 1932 (Edmondson, Edwards, & Boyer, 2012). It uses the usual bipolar response points that today almost everyone is familiar with. According to Edmondson, Edwards, and Boyer (2012), Likert scale has proved more reliable and used only half the number of items used by other popular methods at the time of its introduction. Also, in most cases, the scale does not require judges which added to its simplicity. Since then, Likert scale has become very popular and many modifications have been added to enhance the accuracy of the results (Edmondson, Edwards, & Boyer, 2012).
Likert scale is composed of the analysis of a series of statements to which respondents agree or disagree with variable degrees (Albaum, 1997). According to Edmondson, Edwards, and Boyer (2012), originally, Likert scale was composed of 4 different components. First one was strictly a yes/no/...
... middle of paper ...
...the upcoming challenges in the healthcare field, organizations need to make the best use all resources including consumers’ attitudes and judgments.
Works Cited
Albaum, J. (1997). The Likert scale revisited: An alternate version. Journal of the Market Research Society, 39(2), 331-348.
Edmondson, D. R., Edwards, Y. D., & Boyer, S. L. (2012). Likert scales: A marketing perspective. International journal of business, Marketing, & Decision Science, 5(2), 73-85.
Grogan, S., Conner, M., Willits, D., & Norman, P. (1995). Development of a questionnaire to measure patients’ satisfaction with general practitioners’ services. The British Journal of General Practice, 35(399), 525-529. Retrieved from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1239403/
Robertson, J. (2012). Likert-type scales, statistical methods, and effect sizes. Communications of the ACM, 55(5), 6-7.
Nerenz, D. R. & Neil, N. (2001). Performance measures for health care systems. Commissioned paper for the center for Health management research. [PDF document]. Retrieved from Systemswww.hret.org/chmr/resources/cp19b.pdf
Due to the increasing financial implications, patient satisfaction has become a growing priority for health care organizations, as well as transitioning the health care organization’s philosophy about the delivery of health care (Murphy, 2014). This CMS value based purchasing initiative has created a paradigm shift in health care in which leaders and clinicians must focus on patient centered care and the patient experience which ultimately will result in better outcomes. Leaders and clinicians alike must be committed to the patient satisfaction. As leaders within the organization, these groups must be role models and lead by example for front-line staff. Ultimately, if patients are satisfied, they are more likely to be compliant with their treatment plans and continue to seek follow up care with their health care provider, which will result in decreased lengths of stay, decreased readmissions, increased referrals and decreased costs (Murphy, 2014). One strategy employed by health care leaders to capture the patient experience, is purp...
Patient satisfaction surveys have been in debate being that the concept of ‘patient satisfaction’ is not clear and because this term means something different to everyone (Junewicz & Youngner, 2015). However, Junewicz and Younger (2015) discuss how these surveys can improve aspects of a patient’s care such as humanism, communication, safety, and confidentiality. The part that is still not covered is that these aspects patient satisfaction has no clear relationship with the technical quality of healthcare such as nosocomial infections, surgical complications, and readmission rates (Junewicz & Youngner, 2015).
The healthcare industry, as a whole, has made great strides towards improving access to he...
There are two basic psychometric properties, validity and reliability that have been used to evaluate the quality of scale development. Psychometric testing used to evaluate the quality of instrument (Polit& Beck, 2010).
[19]Press I. 2005. Patient Satisfaction: Understanding and Managing the Experience of Care, 2nd Edition. Chicago, IL: Health Administration Press.
Mitchell Peck B,Ubel,P,Roter DL et al. Do unmet expectations for specific tests,referrals,and new medications reduce patients’ satisfaction. Journal of General Internal Medicine 2004;19:1080–7.
...d for consent to proceed with the study. The participants were given thorough instructions that at any during the survey you can withdrawal your participation in the research, and that this is to benefit research to society. Participation is this survey was voluntary was emphasized. Participants were told that the surveys should take no longer than fifteen minutes and the personal information will remain confidential their results may be shared, but for research purposes only. The questionnaire will have a demographic sheet and a 50 item questionnaire divided into two sections. One part has a four point Likert scale (0= Almost Never, 1=Sometimes, 2= Often, 3 =Almost Always) and the other part is a selection of A or B. It was also reiterated that the participants had the right to withdraw from the research study at any time; there will be no consequences or penalty.
There are a lot of effects of the patient feedback about the health services, especially in the dentistry department. In 1995, Sir David Mason wrote about the challenges and opportunities facing the dental profession and identified the "consumer revolution" as being one of the major trends currently shaping general dental practice in the UK: "More people want more say about their health and health services, the best care for themselves and their families and choice in that care. For the NHS the result has been a profound shift in emphasis from service providers to patients, the full effects of which have yet to be realized." (Mason D. 1995). One of these effects is the growing impact that patient satisfaction and dissatisfaction will have on the business success of dental practice.
Health care must be fully accountable for quality and the patient experience is simply the patient's perception of quality. Society should question and debate on how healthcare organizations should show improvement for consumers. This can help organizations create reliable health coverage cost and evaluate medical performances for families and individuals in the future. Physicians and organizations are now evaluating patients with collection of electronic data to improve a patient’s...
According to Fred Lee (2004) hospitals use clinical results and process improvement as a gauge of quality as this data can be readily measured and objective. Conversely, patients judge the quality of care by individual perception. Therein a gap of what the patient’s perception of quality care and how the healthcare providers perceive quality of care is created. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the Gaps Model of Service Quality while comparing the findings of the work done by Fred Lee in the book, If Disney Ran Your Hospital: 91/2 Things You would Do Differently.
After the participant has taken the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), the participants are given their results (scores). The results are in form of a bar graph, as well as numbers of how they performed in form of a scale. At times, there are some cases of confusion which may result due to the confusion of the numbers leading to some similarity in the trait theory. During the preparation, another important element which should be considered is privacy. The results of a personality indicator should be limited only to the
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is another model that attempts to inventory personality traits. Isabel Briggs Myers created the MBTI based on psychologist Carl Jung’s work regarding psychological types. Myers developed the model to “help people understand themselves and each other so they could find work that matches their personality.” (Phillips & Gully, 2014) Four scales are explored with the MBTI. The first scale assesses extroversion/introversion; the same idea described in the first dimension of the Big Five. The second scale identifies sensing or intuitive individuals. Sensing individuals are detail and fact oriented when focusing on information, whereas intuitive people interpret and add meaning to information. The third scale classifies
Patients make up a huge part in achieving service excellence for the healthcare industry. My healthcare facility helps the patients redeem themselves and correct with sensitivity. The patients are my customers, and my healthcare facility must remember our mission and vision of giving spectacular healthcare to our customers who are our priority. By giving quality customer service, my healthcare facility earns the gratitude and patronage of its patients. The patients pass their experiences to their families and that keeps my healthcare facilities’ reputation successful
According to many studies health care quality should be measured with patient’s perspective as they provide real time and valid data on quality. Patient judge health care service performance against satisfaction and expectation. Measuring quality in health care can help decision makers to improve the existing system and set control measures to maintain a level of standard.