Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #111563

Anna Samedova, MPH¹, Diane Abatemarco, PhD, MSW², Karen L. Benjamin, MPH, CHES¹, Ruth S. Gubernick, MPH³, Steven Kairys, MD, MPH⁴, and Tammy Piazza-Hurley⁵. (1) Health Education and Behavioral Science, UMDNJ-School of Public Health, 683 Hoes Lane West, #321, Piscataway, NJ 08854, (732) 235-9763, Anna.Samedova@umdnj.edu, (2) UMDNJ - School of Public Health, 683 Hoes Lane West, #311, Piscataway, NJ 08854, (3) Consultant-Maternal & Child Health Prog. Devel. Specialist, 5 Woodbury Drive, Cherry Hill, NJ 08003, (4) Department of Pediatrics, Jersey Shore Medical Center, Route 33, Neptune, NJ 07754, (5) Division of Safety and Health Promotion, American Academy of Pediatrics, 141 Northwest Point Blvd., Elk Grove Village, IL 60007

Background: Primary care practices are generally considered to be rigid, bureaucratic, hierarchical, and incapable of change. Using the framework of complexity theory and understanding that pediatric practices are complex adaptive systems facing the need to respond to internal and external uncertainty and surprise, we conducted an employee satisfaction survey in pediatric primary care practices. Six sites in New Jersey were selected to reflect different styles of pediatric primary care (small and large; urban, suburban, and rural; private and federally-funded).

Aim: Our specific intent was to identify problem areas in working environment that needed improvement and opportunities for working more effectively within the pediatric practice to achieve improvement in the overall quality of care.

Methods: A cross-sectional design included a questionnaire that was completed by 129 clinicians and non-clinicians in the pediatric practices, with a response rate of 80%. The questionnaire assessed overall satisfaction, staff relationships, work demands, patient load and major changes in the practice environment.

Principal Findings: The rates of employee satisfaction varied directly with the person's position within the practice. On average, the lower the individual was in the practice hierarchy, the lower their employee satisfaction. Non-clinical staff (front desk, billing staff, etc.) were almost twice more likely than clinicians to state that the practice is stressful or is almost always in chaos. Additional findings related to practice culture and employee satisfaction will be reported.

Conclusions: Clinicians and non-clinicians differ significantly in their perception of work-related stress and chaos. Regular employee satisfaction evaluations can serve as an avenue for improving working environments and can lead to an overall improvement in the quality of care.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to

• Describe how detailed information is collected to evaluated employee satisfaction in primary care.
• Discuss how evaluationg employee well-being affects quality of care.
• List hierarchical differences in perceptions of working environment among clinical and non-clinical personnel.

Keywords: Quality Improvement, Health Care Workers

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.