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-- WITH PHOTO -- TO HEALTH, MEDICAL, AND NATIONAL EDITORS:
Patient Satisfaction Scores in the ER Are Not Affected by Receipt of
Painkillers
WASHINGTON, March 27, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Factors other
than receipt of painkillers - including opiates - in the emergency
department appear to be more important to patient satisfaction, as
reflected in an analysis of Press Ganey@ patient surveys to be
published online today in Annals of Emergency Medicine ("Lack of
Association between Press Ganey@ Emergency Department Patient
Satisfaction Scores and Emergency Department Administration of
Analgesic Medications").
"The lack of connection between painkillers and patient satisfaction
is frankly the opposite of what we expected to find," said lead study
author Tayler Schwartz of Alpert Medical School at Brown University in
Providence, R.I. "Our research shows that emergency physicians can
administer painkillers, including opiates, based on clinical and
patient factors without concern for the effect on patient satisfaction
scores."
Ms. Schwartz and her team analyzed Press Ganey@ patient satisfaction
surveys and electronic medical records for 4,749 patients discharged
from two hospitals. Of those patients, 48.5 percent received analgesic
medications in the emergency department, and of the patients who
received analgesics, 60.9 percent received opiates.
After controlling for different variables, researchers found no
relationship between Press Ganey@ emergency department patient
satisfaction scores and the receipt of analgesic medications or opiate
analgesics. Higher patient satisfaction scores were connected to
increasing age and male gender.
In some emergency departments, physician compensation is linked to
patient satisfaction scores, which can exert pressure on physicians to
comply with patient requests, even if those requests are medically
unreasonable.
"The majority of emergency patients are in pain and emergency
physicians face multiple challenges when treating them, including
pressure to get high patient satisfaction scores," said Ms. Schwartz.
"If emergency physicians believe that prescribing opiates will lead to
high Press Ganey@ satisfaction scores, they may be conflicted about
what and how much to prescribe. Our study shows that while pain
relief is a factor in patient satisfaction, it is far from the most
important one."
Annals of Emergency Medicine is the peer-reviewed scientific journal
for the American College of Emergency Physicians, the national medical
society representing emergency medicine. ACEP is committed to
advancing emergency care through continuing education, research, and
public education. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, ACEP has 53 chapters
representing each state, as well as Puerto Rico and the District of
Columbia. A Government Services Chapter represents emergency
physicians employed by military branches and other government
agencies. For more information, visit www.acep.org.
www.annemergmed.com Twitter @emergencydocs For more information,
visit: http://newsroom.acep.org
SOURCE American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP)
-0- 03/27/2014
/CONTACT: Julie Lloyd, 202-370-9292
/Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100616/DC22034LOGO-d
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
/Web Site: http://www.acep.org
CO: American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP)
ST: District of Columbia
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-- DC92256 --
0000 03/27/2014 13:47:00 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com
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