Observation of patient satisfaction and clinical outcomes in treatment of musculoskeletal conditions: A systematic literature review

Background/Objective: Patient centered care has become increasingly important in healthcare in the last 10-15 years. Patient satisfaction reflects whether care has met patient needs. This study seeks to explore the relationship between patient satisfaction and clinical outcomes. Methods: This systematic review analyzed OvidMedline, CINAHL, and Web of Science in 2019 for peer reviewed articles about musculoskeletal conditions treated by physical therapists that measured patient satisfaction via the Global Rating of Change (GROC) scale or Patient Acceptable Symptom State (PASS). Studies were appraised for quality of evidence, statistical significance, and clinical significance. Results: Of the 16 articles included, there was 1 quasi-experimental study, 4 case series, 7 RCTs, and 5 cohort studies. Five studies did not have statistically significant changes in the GROC, PASS, or functional outcome measures. The remaining studies had positive correlations between patient satisfaction measures and clinical outcome measures. Conclusions/Implications: This study suggests that patients who are satisfied with their PT outcomes are associated with increased likelihood of positive clinical outcomes. There seems to be a connection between satisfaction or dissatisfaction, the quality of care received and the outcome of clinical care. Patient perception of care can alter experience, adherence, and success of each intervention