There was a significant difference in patient satisfaction, according to researchers in Chicago.

But what about their pain?

First, the details.

• Patients in the emergency department with pain as their chief complaint were randomly assigned to a treatment group.
  • Usual treatment for pain
  • Usual treatment for pain + deep breathing exercises
• A visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to measure pain before and after treatment.
• Patient satisfaction was measured using the medical interview satisfaction scale (MISS).

And, the results.

• There was no difference between groups regarding pain levels after treatment with pain medication.
• There was a significant difference in patient service satisfaction regarding doctor/patient rapport and intention to follow treatment.

The bottom line?
The added attention improved the patients’ satisfaction but not their pain.

6/3/09 21:18 JR