The Administration of an Expectation Survey at a Pain Medicine Clinic to Improve Patient Satisfaction: A Prospective Study.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Patients' expectations are important aspects to consider for improving patients' satisfaction and willingness to return for continued care. While expectation surveys are not novel in Pain Medicine, none specifically aim to improve satisfaction. This study evaluates whether administering an expectation survey during an initial pain clinic visit improves satisfaction with treatment plans and outcomes. We hypothesized that completing the survey could increase awareness and help align expectations and satisfaction.

RECENT FINDINGS: This study was conducted at an outpatient multidisciplinary pain clinic at an urban academic hospital and 100 first-time, English speaking adult patients were recruited. Fifty patients completed a pre-visit questionnaire on pain and expectations (intervention group), while 50 did not (control group). A follow-up survey was completed six months later by 85% of participants to assess satisfaction level with pain treatment, meeting of goals and expectations, and overall clinic experience. No significant differences were found between intervention and control groups for pain treatment satisfaction (3.46 ± 1.31 vs. 3.50 ± 1.28, p = 0.48), goal achievement (3.76 ± 1.14 vs. 3.49 ± 1.20, p = 0.30), or overall experience (3.83 ± 1.20 vs. 3.72 ± 1.14, p = 0.67). Dissatisfaction stemmed from inadequate pain relief, lack of follow-up, and unmet expectations. The lack of statistical significance suggests that merely assessing expectations without patient education or provider engagement may be insufficient. Future studies could explore how patient education, communication, and treatment understanding can impact satisfaction to potentially improve pain management experiences.