The effect of patient satisfaction scores on physician clinical decision making: A possible factor driving utilization of opioid prescriptions, magnetic resonance imaging, and interventional spine procedures

Objective To survey the effect of patient satisfaction scores on pain physicians’ medical decision making, with an emphasis on resource utilization. Design Email-based Survey. Methods Setting & Subjects: A 23-question survey was approved for dissemination to membership of a medical society and emailed to all members. The survey was also available online and via a promoted QR code. Results An email with link to the survey was viewed 1,116 times, and clicked on 223 times, with 75 members completing the survey online once the link was clicked. Thirty-three additional physicians directly accessed the survey online and completed it. Seventy-seven percent of physicians reported that patient satisfaction scores were tracked by their institution and were used as a consideration in financial compensation (22%) or performance review (36%). Over half of the physicians surveyed reported feeling that satisfaction scores would decline if they did not order MRI imaging, prescribe opioids or provide work restrictions/disability. Thirty percent reported to have performed a spine injection due to concern about patient satisfaction scores. Twenty-one reported that they had prescribed an opioid medication because of this concern. Lastly 25% and 24% have filled out disability paperwork or provided a disability parking placard respectively. Conclusions Over half of physicians surveyed reported having ordered physical therapy, MRIs, opioid medications, spine injections, or provided disability documentation over concern about how providing or not providing such things impacts patient satisfaction scores. This may be an unintended consequence of the current emphasis placed on patient satisfaction scores.