- The world of healthcare advocacy often reveals unexpected insights. From time to time, I’ll share these real stories here on LinkedIn to highlight what truly matters when guiding employees to the best care.
Today’s story underscores a critical truth: Patient satisfaction surveys are not always the most reliable measure of a physician’s quality.
An Alithias advocate recently guided an employee to high-value care for a surgical procedure, delivering more than $10,000 in savings for the employer. She referred the patient to a surgeon and facility we’ve trusted for years—successfully directing over 100 similar cases to them. Our internal follow-up surveys consistently rate this surgeon’s patient experience at 9.5 out of 10.
The day after surgery, our advocate called to check in and gently remind the patient to complete the post-procedure survey—fully expecting glowing feedback. Instead, she heard this:
“I’m giving that surgeon a zero!” the patient declared.
Shocked, the advocate asked why.
“Because I ended up in the ER for emergency surgery the same day!” the patient replied. The advocate calmly asked for details.
Here’s what unfolded: On the drive home, the patient’s spouse hit a deer. Airbags deployed. They arranged alternative transportation and later called the surgery center reporting “pain in the surgical area.” The team reassured them that some post-op discomfort is normal and advised taking the prescribed pain medication.
That night, the pain worsened, so the patient went to the ER—where providers performed additional surgery to address internal injuries from the accident.
When asked if he’d mentioned the deer collision or airbag deployment to the surgery center, the patient admitted: “No… I just said I was in pain.”
And he still planned to rate the surgeon a zero.
This story illustrates the flaw in relying solely on patient satisfaction metrics—they can be heavily influenced by factors completely outside a physician’s control.
At Alithias, we take a different approach. We use robust, claims-based physician quality data that examines actual outcomes for each doctor and procedure combination. We remove outliers (like car accidents), and focus on objective metrics including:
* Average length of stay
*. Readmission rates
*. Complication rates per episode
*. Infection rates
*. ER visits per 1,000 episodes
We draw from CMS, commercial claims, All-Payer Claims Databases, and other third-party sources.
The reality: There is no perfect doctor. Every surgeon will have cases with less-than-ideal outcomes. But the data clearly reveals who consistently performs in the top tier over time. When we steer patients to providers in the top 50% of their peers, we give employees the strongest possible chance for excellent results—at the best value
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