Overview
Satisfaction ratings of obstetrics patients of the Military Health System have been historically low compared with ratings of medical and surgical patients. Altarum is helping the Defense Health Agency (DHA) understand why by analyzing qualitative comments from the TRICARE Inpatient Satisfaction Survey.
Our Approach
We begin each round of obstetric analysis by coding into relevant categories the qualitative comments of patients who received obstetric care at military hospitals. These categories include topics such as overall hospital experience, staff care and communication, facilities, and hospital administration. We triangulate these data with information from quantitative satisfaction results and other published literature to provide DHA with insightful findings and recommendations for enhancements.
Results
Our results include data-rich visualizations to help leadership better understand the data and use it to inform decision making. DHA shared our findings with military hospital leaders and used them to enact improvements related to provider communication and facility amenities that would make patient visits more comfortable and convenient. This work has helped DHA leadership improve care and service for obstetrics patients in facilities across all service branches.
Contact Us
Laura Pinnock - MS
Program Director, Survey Science
Areas of Expertise- Survey Data
- Military & Veterans Health
- Integrated Disability Evaluation System
As program director of Survey Science, Laura Pinnock directs survey projects for the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Army Office of the Surgeon General, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Veterans Health Administration. Her areas of expertise include survey data, military and veterans health and health care claims data, and the military’s Wounded Warrior population. Laura has a master’s degree from the George Washington University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.