Patient Satisfaction in the Preoperative Period: Preparing for Hand Surgery:

Background: The potential impact of the number and type of preoperative encounters on satisfaction rates prior to elective surgical procedures is unclear, specifically scheduling and medical clearance encounters. Methods: Questionnaires investigating satisfaction with the preoperative process were collected for 200 patients presenting for elective hand surgery. The number of telephone, surgeon, and medical clearance encounters were recorded, and satisfaction was determined for each type based on a 4-category Likert scale. All patients 18 years or older were included, while only patients providing incomplete questionnaires were excluded. Outcome data were assessed for associations between different encounter totals or types and satisfaction rates. Results: Among 200 patients, 197 completed the questionnaire and were included. Overall satisfaction with the preoperative process was 92.9%, with only 3% of patients dissatisfied. There was a significant association between satisfaction and the number of telepho...