How denying patient requests may not impact patient satisfaction

Does physician denial of patient requests result in decreased patient satisfaction?

The short answer: No.




In studies, primary care physicians accommodate patient requests for medications and diagnostic tests approximately 75% of the time. Physicians however accommodated only 40% of specialist referral requests. Physicians negotiated alternatives solutions to patient requests 22% of the time and denied patient requests the remaining 3% of the time. Information requests were met approximately 95% of the time by physicians.

Denial Of patient requests has little impact on patient satisfaction

It is not at all clear from the research that physician denial of patient requests for medications, tests or specialist referrals has any negative effect on patient satisfaction. In the studies referenced here, little to no association was found between unfulfilled patient requests and patient satisfaction.

The one exception to this finding is where physicians fail to meet patient requests for health information. In such instances patient satisfaction was lower. This is not surprising when one study categorized the quality of physician responses to patient information requests as follows:

  • 32% were of requests were fulfilled with a “terse” physician response
  • 33% percent were fulfilled with an “intermediate” response
  • 32% percent with an “elaborate” response.

Experts advise negotiating patient requests

It has been said that clinical encounters such as occur during office visits involve a “process of negotiation between the clinician and patient.” As such, physicians are advised to use the influence accorded them by their patients to help them understand the pros and cons of their request so as to negotiate actions are really needed.

Physicians that are truly concerned about their patient satisfaction score are better served by looking after the quality of their patient communications skills.



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