INQUIRY PROJECT FINDINGS Kimberly Watling

INQUIRY QUESTION: What are the factors that contribute to patient satisfaction with physical therapy services?

MOST INTERESTING IDEA The most interesting idea articulated in the essay is the fact that patient satisfaction is correlated with the quality of patient therapist interactions. In the article, “The Development of an Instrument to Measure Satisfaction with Physical Therapy” by Marc S. Goldstein, states that, “Satisfaction is correlated with quality of care, more specifically how the therapist treats the client. If the quality of care is good, it is most likely that satisfaction will be positive.” (4)

This interests me because it is guaranteed that there will be an interaction between the therapist and patient, but the quality of those interactions is what has an impact on patient satisfaction. The quality determines how strong the relationship between the two is. The better the relationship the more satisfaction and that is something that I thought was a very interesting factor.

TARGET AUDIENCE The specific target audience is physical therapy services, (the therapists) and patients who have received or are about to receive physical therapy. These ideas matter to this audience because it might influence or change the way that therapists treat their clients. It could also give new patient’s insight on the qualities to look for in a therapist to receive the most satisfying experience.