Good healthcare is more than simply precise diagnosis and effective treatments; it's also about how patients feel along their journey. Every interaction matters, from the minute patients enter the clinic until they leave.
That’s why more hospitals, private practices, and healthcare systems across the United States are turning to patient experience surveys to bridge care gaps, build trust, and enhance the overall patient experience.
In this article, we have shared why patient experience surveys are important, questions to ask in surveys, and real-world use cases, along with some additional information.
Continue reading for detailed information on patient experience surveys.
What Is a Patient Experience Survey?
A patient experience survey is a tool used by healthcare professionals to gather patient feedback to identify areas of frustration and improve patient care and clinical service quality.
It’s not just about satisfaction or star ratings. These surveys dig into the details of a patient’s journey:
- How easy was it to make an appointment?
- Did the staff treat them with respect?
- Were instructions clear and follow-up care explained?
- Did they feel heard?
Most patient experience surveys combine multiple-choice questions with a few open-ended questions, so patients can share their honest opinions in their own words. Tools like the Patient Experience Questionnaire (PEQ) or HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) are widely used in hospitals and clinics across the U.S.
6 Benefits of Modern Patient Experience Surveys
Why use patient experience surveys? From fostering patient-centric care to supporting data-driven decision making, there are tons of reasons to use patient experience surveys.
Let’s explore some of the top reasons:
1. Help You See What Patients Really Feel
A patient might leave the clinic smiling, but that doesn’t always mean everything went well. Surveys give patients the space to share how they actually felt about their visit. A clinic in Chicago discovered through surveys that while their doctors were highly rated, patients felt rushed during appointments. The team adjusted scheduling to allow 5 extra minutes per patient, and satisfaction scores went up by 30%.
2. Improve Communication
One of the key benefits of patient experience surveys is that they improve communication between patients and healthcare organizations. Patients may have a negative experience due to the lack of a specific healthcare survey. You’ll never know about it ituntill you ask for their feedback. For example, after noticing repeated feedback about confusing medication instructions, one hospital introduced printed take-home summaries. As a result, fewer patients called back with questions, and adherence improved.
3. Build Trust and Loyalty
When patients are asked for their feedback and see real changes based on it, they’re more likely to return, which ultimately results in higher patient satisfaction and retention. Loyal patients also share positive word-of-mouth marketing that contributes to new referral visits.
4. Identify Hidden Gaps in care or service
Patient experience surveys often reveal things staff don’t see, such as long wait times, unfriendly front desk interactions, or confusing check-in processes. For example, one urgent care center learned its parking lot lighting made evening patients feel unsafe, something no internal team had flagged. They fixed it within a week, and feedback instantly improved.
5. Improve staff performance and boat engagement
Patient experience surveys don’t just highlight what’s going wrong; they also show what staff are doing right. When teams see real feedback from patients, it helps them feel recognized, motivated, and connected to their impact. When staff feel valued and supported, patient care naturally improves. It’s a win-win.
Did you know?
Organizations that use patient feedback to train staff see a 21% improvement in employee engagement and teamwork.
6. Support Revenue growth
Every medical center needs to stay financially healthy to continue delivering quality care. One way to support that? Listening to your patients. By using patient experience surveys to guide targeted improvements, you can create better hospital experiences that build trust and loyalty over time. And when patients feel genuinely cared for, they’re more likely to return and even more likely to recommend your facility to friends and family. All of that adds up to stronger relationships and sustainable revenue growth.
Patients who rate hospitals highly on experience are more likely to follow care plans, boosting health outcomes and reducing readmissions. Source
Suggested read: How Medical Surveys for Patients Are Improving Healthcare
Real-World Example: The CPES-IC Model
One of the best-known examples of a modern patient experience survey in action is Canada’s CPES-IC, short for the Canadian Patient Experience Survey – Inpatient Care.
This model is used in hospitals across Canada to understand what patients experience during overnight hospital stays. It’s more than a simple “how was your visit?” it asks meaningful questions about communication, pain management, staff responsiveness, hospital environment, and emotional support.
What Makes CPES-IC Stand Out?
- Standardized: The survey is used across provinces, which means hospitals can compare and learn from each other.
- Patient-Centered: The questions were developed with input from actual patients, ensuring the focus stays on what truly matters to them.
- Actionable: Results from the survey are used to improve care—from staff training to how information is communicated to patients during discharge.
The Canadian Patient Experience Survey (CPES‑IC) measures care across 23 indicators, from emotional support to discharge clarity. Read more
The 4 P’s of a Better Patient Experience
The way we experience healthcare is changing and fast. With virtual care on the rise and patients more open than ever to using technology, there’s a huge opportunity to improve how care is delivered. That’s where the 4 P’s of patient experience come in: Proactive, Personalized, Predictive, and Precise care.
1. Proactive Care
Instead of waiting until something’s wrong, proactive care is all about staying ahead of the curve. Think regular checkups, preventive screenings, and small tweaks before little issues turn into big ones. It’s not about being paranoid, it’s about being prepared.
And the bonus? Catching things early usually means fewer hospital visits, less stress, and better health in the long run.
2. Personalized Care
Ever felt like your doctor gave you the same advice they give everyone else?
That’s the opposite of personalized care. Personalized care means the treatment you get is based on you, your lifestyle, your body, and even your DNA. Whether it’s adjusting medication to avoid side effects or creating a diet plan that actually works for you, it’s care that feels like it was designed with you in mind because it was.
3. Predictive Care
This one’s kind of like having a heads-up display for your health. Doctors can now use data to spot patterns, flag early warning signs, and help prevent problems before they start.
So instead of saying “I wish we’d caught this earlier,” we start saying “Good thing we caught this in time.”
4. Precise Care
Precision means getting the proper treatment at the right time and nothing extra. It’s using the best tools and most accurate information to treat the problem without overdoing it.
Fewer side effects. Faster recoveries. Less guesswork. And more confidence that the care you’re getting is exactly what you need.
Did you know?
Over 2 million patients complete the HCAHPS survey every year across 4,400+ hospitals in the U.S. source
Example Questions for a Patient Experience Survey
While designing a patient experience survey, it’s helpful to focus on a specific area to get more targeted insights. These sample questions can help you in customizing your survey.
Questions related to Overall Experience
- On a scale of 1–10, how would you rate your overall experience with our facility?
- How satisfied were you with the medical care you received during your visit?
Questions related to Communication with Healthcare Providers
- Did your doctor or nurse explain your diagnosis and treatment options clearly?
- Did you feel comfortable asking questions during your appointment?
- How would you rate the quality of communication from your provider?
Questions related to Staff Interaction
- Were our staff members polite, respectful, and attentive throughout your visit?
- Did your provider listen to your concerns and address them thoroughly?
Questions related to Facility Environment
- How clean and organized was the facility?
- Was the waiting area comfortable and welcoming?
Questions related to Access to Care
- How easy was it to schedule your appointment?
- Were you seen by a healthcare provider in a timely manner?
Questions related to Post-Visit Follow-Up
- Were you given clear, written, or verbal instructions for follow-up care?
- Did our team follow up with you in a timely and helpful way?
Questions related to Likelihood to Recommend
- Based on your experience, how likely are you to recommend our clinic/hospital to a friend or family member?
Patient Experience Questionnaire Template
Please take a few minutes to share your recent experience with us. Your feedback helps improve the quality of care we provide.
1. What was the date of your visit?
[Date input]
2. What was the reason for your visit?
[Open text input]
3. How would you rate the clarity of the communication you received from your healthcare provider?
Single choice:
- Poor
- Fair
- Good
- Very Good
- Excellent
4. Was your diagnosis and treatment plan explained in an easy-to-understand way?
Single choice:
- Not at all
- Somewhat
- Moderately
- Mostly
- Completely
5. Was it easy to schedule your appointment?
Single choice:
- Not at all
- Somewhat
- Moderately
- Mostly
- Completely
6. Were you provided with clear instructions before your appointment (e.g., fasting, medications)?
Single choice:
- Not at all
- Somewhat
- Moderately
- Mostly
- Completely
7. Did the environment make you feel safe and cared for?
Single choice:
- Not at all
- Somewhat
- Moderately
- Mostly
- Completely
8 . Overall, how would you rate your experience with our healthcare facility?
Single choice:
- Very Poor
- Poor
- Fair
- Good
- Very Good
- Excellent
9 . Would you recommend us to family or friends?
Single choice:
- Definitely Not
- Probably Not
- Not Sure
- Probably
- Definitely
10. Do you have any suggestions on how we can improve our services?
[Open text input]
Create your patient experience surveys with TheySaid
Design smarter, conversational surveys that truly capture how patients feel without overwhelming them. With TheySaid, you can gather honest, in-the-moment feedback and turn it into actionable insights that improve care and boost satisfaction.
Get started with TheySaid and elevate your patient experience today.
Key Takeways
- Ask the right questions, not just generic ones. Go beyond “How was your visit?” Dig into communication, comfort, emotional support, and staff responsiveness to uncover what truly matters to patients.
- Use surveys to guide daily improvements. Share feedback with frontline teams regularly. A quick huddle based on real responses can lead to faster care, better bedside manners, and fewer patient complaints.
- Make surveys part of your care, not an afterthought. Send them while the experience is fresh. Tools like TheySaid can help you launch AI-powered surveys that feel like a conversation, not a chore.
- Train staff using feedback trends. If patients consistently mention confusion at discharge, update your process and retrain accordingly. Continuous feedback equals continuous growth.
- Track and tie survey insights to revenue impact. Positive experiences drive patient loyalty and referrals. Use your data to justify investments in patient-centered changes that fuel both care quality and financial performance.
FAQs
How do patient experience surveys reduce readmission rates?
When patients feel heard and instructions are clearly communicated (especially at discharge), they’re more likely to follow treatment plans, lowering the risk of avoidable hospital readmissions.
What's the difference between patient satisfaction and patient experience surveys?
Satisfaction surveys measure feelings (Was it good?), while experience surveys dig into facts (What happened?). Experience-based questions lead to more actionable data.
Are patients actually willing to fill out patient experience surveys?
Not if they’re long and boring. But when you use tools like TheySaid that feel like a two-way conversation, response rates go up and insights improve.
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