Unit 5. Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement
Quality Assurance & Quality Improvement

Section 4. Data Collection and Analysis

Administering Patient-Satisfaction Surveys

The manner in which a survey is administered will influence the results. Choose the method you feel will yield the most accurate results.

Avoid introducing bias into your survey process and questions. Surveying users of the clinic and not seeking responses from those who are eligible to use your services but choose not to is one way to introduce bias. Valuable information can be obtained from non-users. Consider a community-based survey rather than a clinic-based one to prevent this type of bias. You may be able to use students to conduct a community-based survey as part of a class assignment or internship at a local college or university, health professions program, or school of public health.

Tips for Administering a Survey

  • All responses must be completely voluntary.
  • Administration of the survey must be random.
  • Ensure respondents that their care at the clinic will not be impacted by their willingness or unwillingness to participate in the survey.
  • All responses must be kept anonymous.
  • The survey form can be:
    • Given to patients in the clinic as they complete their appointment.
    • Mailed to a random sample of registered users.
    • Administered by a trained surveyor (either by phone or in person, in the clinic or at the respondent's home) who poses the questions and then marks answers on the form.