Primary and secondary endpoints
DISEASE, SECONDARY
The primary endpoint for this analysis was patients’ overall satisfaction, defined by the mean of several satisfaction measures (see secondary endpoints) and measured on a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) of 0–100, with 0 indicating the lowest and 100 the highest possible satisfaction. For the purpose of this study, patient satisfaction below the median were defined as low satisfaction. Secondary endpoints included satisfaction outcomes for: ward rounds, hospital stay, medical care, physician communication and nursing team communication, measured on the same a VAS from 0 to 100.We also assessed three elements of patients’ subjective and objective knowledge of their own medical situation: the understanding of the disease, therapeutic approach and further plans for care. Each dimension was rated by the patient on a VAS from 0 to 100 (0 ‘no knowledge about the situation’ to 100 ‘best possible knowledge about the situation’). Subjective knowledge was defined as the patient’s self-assessment of being informed and was rated during a structured interview in the afternoon after the ward round. The study team rated objective knowledge by comparing patients’ recall of information about their main disease with medical information from the chart.Ward round duration was measured in minutes and included: total time during the ward round, individual outside the room discussions or bedside discussions and debriefing outside the room.Further secondary endpoints included multiple items relating to patients’ perception of: time spent on the ward round, patients’ discomfort during the ward round, physician behaviour during the ward round and general quality of care (
