Relationship Between Chaplain Visits and Patient Satisfaction

Abstract

This prospective study investigated the relationship between chaplain visits and patient satisfaction, as measured by Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) and Press Ganey surveys from 8,978 patients who had been discharged from a tertiary care hospital. Controlling for patients' age, gender, race, ethnicity, language, education, faith, general health status, and medical conditions, chaplain visits increased the willingness of patients to recommend the hospital, as measured by both the HCAHPS survey (regression coefficient = 0.07, p < .05) and the Press Ganey survey (0.11, p < .01). On the Press Ganey survey, patients visited by chaplains were also more likely to endorse that staff met their spiritual needs (0.27, p < .001) and their emotional needs (0.10, p < .05). In terms of overall patient satisfaction, patients visited by a chaplain were more satisfied on both the Press Ganey survey (0.11, p < .01) and on the HCAHPS survey (0.17, p < .05). Chaplains' integration into the healthcare team improves patients' satisfaction with their hospital stay.

KEYWORDS:

• chaplaincy
• HCAHPS
• patient satisfaction
• Press Ganey
• spiritual care

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Electronic health record data were provided by Tatiana Arreglado MSN RN, Department of Clinical Informatics, Mount Sinai Health System, New York, New York. Survey data were provided by Robert Fallar, PhD, Office of Excellence in Patient Care, Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, New York. Reference preparation was provided by Barnaby Nicolas MSIS, Gustave L. and Janet W. Levy Library, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York.