The patient-physician relationship is a complex interaction and the importance of effective communication is well documented. The importance and implications of effective physician-patient communication is highlighted by the implementation of Communication Skills as a core competency by ACGME. The purpose of this study was to evaluate anonymous surveys completed by orthopaedic clinic patients to assess their visit experiences and whether they would recommend their physician to a friend or family member. Data were collected from patients exiting SIUs Division of Orthopaedic Surgery outpatient clinics through the completion of an anonymous survey. The survey was distributed on a sample of days between 2002 and 2004 and again in 2009. Responders were asked to complete the survey and return it prior to leaving the office. Participating surgeons were aware of the project occurring but did not know the dates on which surveys would be collected from their clinic patients. All surveys were scanned for data entry and if there was any difficulty with the scanning process then the data was entered manually.Purpose
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