Patient Satisfaction After THA Varies by Sex

Factors influencing patient satisfaction after total hip arthroplasty (THA) vary by sex, according to a new study.

Staff responsiveness followed by clear communication from nurses and doctors are most important to female patients, whereas optimal pain management is most important to male patients, researchers have found.

The study was conducted to see whether patients’ sex affects their satisfaction after THA, and which factors could be improved upon to help boost satisfaction and reimbursement. In 2012, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services shifted from a fee-for-service to a fee-for-performance model, of which patient satisfaction partially helps to determine reimbursement rates.

“Interestingly, there are differences in perception of care between men and women,” said study author Michael A. Mont, MD, chairman of orthopedic surgery at the Cleveland Clinic, in a press release.

The study included 712 patients who underwent THA from November 2009 to January 2015: 424 women (mean age, 62 years) and 288 men (mean age, 61 years). The main study measure was overall hospital satisfaction via the Press Ganey score.

Researchers found a sex bias in the factors influencing overall hospital satisfaction. Pain management most influenced satisfaction among male patients. Staff responsiveness was the factor for the female cohort, followed by communication with nurses and doctors. There were no significant differences in mean overall hospital rating between men and women, the researchers reported.

“Overall, patient satisfaction should be the goal of every orthopedist,” said study author Anton Khlopas, MD, orthopedic clinical research fellow at the Cleveland Clinic, in a press release. “Focusing efforts based on gender may allow for better patient satisfaction.”

The findings were presented at the 2017 annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (abstract 5).