Understanding Patient Experience: A Course for Residents

INTRODUCTION: A 4-hour curriculum was developed to provide residents with information about the concepts of patient satisfaction and experience. The course focuses on the competencies of professionalism and interpersonal and communication skills. It is designed to allow participants to reflect on current knowledge of the patient experience and service principles and to develop a greater appreciation of these concepts’ utility and importance to everyday work. METHODS: Thirty-two residents in 2015 and nine incoming residents in 2016 participated in weekly hour-long sessions over 4 weeks. The curriculum also included an optional fifth component, in which patient satisfaction data were provided to the residents. Residents participated in pre- and postcurriculum survey assessments regarding their awareness of concepts involving patient experience. RESULTS: Preliminary results suggested that residents found the curriculum beneficial and that it helped to increase their understanding of the relevance of patient satisfaction and experience education to their practice. Quarterly feedback from patient surveys was provided to residents, identifying strengths and opportunities for improvement. DISCUSSION: Given the growing importance and utilization of patient satisfaction surveys, residents participated in this educational intervention to determine if a novel curriculum and proactive approach to resident understanding and utilization of satisfaction data could result in increased patient satisfaction with resident interactions. The study is ongoing and longitudinal, with initial results encouraging.