Influencing Patient Satisfaction Scores

With potential hospital reimbursement centered on patient satisfaction, limiting the number of invasive peripheral venipunctures may increase Press Ganey satisfaction scores. A prospective study compared published outcomes with conventional intravenous (IV) catheters against results using a newly designed IV catheter with a retractable, coiled-tip guidewire. The objectives were to determine whether successful first-attempt and IV complication rates might be altered using the new technology. In a small community hospital-based study of 95 patients, first-attempt success, complications, dwell time, and patient satisfaction results with the new technology scored significantly better, from insertion to removal, than published outcomes with conventional catheters.