Welcome to week 3 of the Spine IQ Back Blog! Last week we discussed the importance of patient satisfaction and ways in which you are able to measure the patient experience in your office. This week we’re providing an example of how to easily collect this data in your practice.

As our healthcare system evolves, it is becoming increasingly important for clinicians to collect data at the individual patient level to demonstrate the value of healthcare delivery in the real world experience and not simply in a research trial. Spine care is no exception. In fact, spine care is critical because back pain is one of the most common reasons people go to the doctor or miss work, and it is a leading cause of disability worldwide. The large number of patients with back and neck pain combined with the high cost, and relative ineffectiveness and potential for harm associated conventional medical care makes Spine care more important than ever. We really do understand that data collection in the busy clinician’s office can be very difficult due to time constraints and other competing priorities. To address this problem, Spine IQ has created a program that marries science and technology to collect high-quality outcomes and satisfaction data directly from the patient. Regarding science, the Spine IQ survey includes validated standardized questions developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to measure patient satisfaction and also collects basic outcomes and utilization data that have been used in previous studies. Using technology, we are able to securely collect data directly from the patient in a way that is easy for both them and you.  Briefly, patients scan a QR code unique to you provided by Spine IQ and then complete the survey on their cell phone in about 3 minutes. This patient involvement enables your patients to participate in their care as well as provide a very unique incentive to comply and additionally recognize that you and your office are on the cutting edge of patient-care technology. Additionally the survey provides you with a special opportunity to have a few minute private consultation with your patient about the importance of their perspectives on the care you provide, demonstrating your interest and involvement in their care as an individual and not just a number.

Clinicians receive a confidential report after the first 15 surveys are completed and quarterly thereafter. Clinicians who are willing to make their data publicly available are eligible for the Spine IQ Silver Recognition Program. This free program puts you on the only data-driven clinician finder “quality map” developed in spine care delivery at the Silver level, with your own provider page and free FaceBook advertising.

To see how effortless this process is, we encourage you to scan the QR code below or in our accompanying social media post, and try it out for yourself! To learn more about the survey and how to interpret the results of the questions watch the short video as Dr. Brianna Williams walks through a sample of the survey and discusses how to apply the answers of specific questions directly to your practice.

Enrolling for the Spine IQ patient satisfaction program is straightforward and affordable at just $25 each month or $250 per year. It is important to remember that Spine IQ is a mission-driven non-profit organization. The low cost of the survey reflects our goal of making high quality data collection affordable for every spine care practice. SIGN UP NOW!

SCAN TO ACCESS THE SAMPLE  PATIENT SATISFACTION SURVEY