Laryngopharyngeal reflux diagnosis: Factors associated with patient satisfaction

Purpose

To examine the patient experience of laryngopharyngeal reflux diagnosis and factors that contributed to perceived difficulty with the process.

Materials and methods

A 32-question anonymous survey was administered to individuals over 18 years old who reported a diagnosis of laryngopharyngeal reflux. The survey contained questions regarding demographics and individuals' experiences during the diagnostic workup along with the generic short patient experiences questionnaire. Percentages were calculated for all variables. Kendall rank correlation coefficient was performed to measure the strength and direction of association between laryngopharyngeal reflux workup and perceived difficulty with diagnosis.

Results

Of the 232 respondents, 59.9 % reported difficulty with the diagnostic process. Strong positive correlations were found between perceived difficulty with laryngopharyngeal reflux diagnosis and the following factors: total number of physicians seen (τ_b = 0.483, p < 0.001), time from symptom onset (τ_b = 0.300, p < 0.001), and time from first physician visit (τ_b = 0.479, p < 0.001). Results from the generic short patient experiences questionnaire showed moderate negative correlations between perceived difficulty with diagnosis and the following factors: perceived competence of physician (τb = −0.228, p < 0.001), perception that the physician cared for the patient (τb = −0.253, p < 0.001), perceived interest the physician had in the patient (τb = −0.259, p < 0.001), and time interacting with the physician (τb = −0.226, p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Respondents report difficulty being diagnosed with laryngopharyngeal reflux. This correlates with increased time to receive a diagnosis, increased number of physicians seen, and factors related to the patient-physician relationship. Physicians can improve patient experience by focusing on clear communication with interactive patient appointments, and scheduling high yield diagnostic tests.