A Quantitative Correlational Study on the Impact of Patient Satisfaction on a Rural Hospital

Abstract

The purpose of the quantitative, ex post facto, correlational research study was to describe a relationship between rural allied health care mean customer satisfaction scores and allied health care departments’ generation of revenue for a hospital. The research method for the study was appropriate because it identified a relationship between two variables: the customer service skills of allied health care practitioners and a hospital’s gross revenue. The study involved analyzing historical patient satisfaction surveys and corresponding hospital revenue statements from a rural hospital in northeastern Oklahoma for a 25-month period. The study revealed a correlation and impact of the allied health care practitioner on hospital survival. Revenue was positively significantly correlated with three of the satisfaction ratings from the Emergency Department. These correlations were for STD tests (r = .41, p < .05), courtesy of the person drawing blood (r = .40, p = .05), and concern of radiology personnel (r = .45, p .05). The correlation was negative, but was rather small and insignificant.