Time and again, patient satisfaction has been linked to positive outcomes, ranging from improved health to better financial performance for providers. Given these impressive benefits, it’s no secret that healthcare entities everywhere attempt to understand and improve patient satisfaction levels by using surveys.
In this blog, we’ll walk through 26 patient survey questions to ask and answer some of the questions our customers ask the most about SMS satisfaction surveys.
Jump right to:
- 26 patient satisfaction survey questions to ask
- Top channels for patient satisfaction surveys
- A full patient satisfaction survey example
- Frequently asked questions about text patient satisfaction surveys
<h2 id="Questions">26 patient satisfaction survey examples and questions to ask</h2>
We’ve compiled a comprehensive list of patient satisfaction survey questions and examples to help you create an effective patient feedback mechanism.
3 questions to gauge general patient satisfaction levels
If you’re looking to get an overall gist of how satisfied patients are with your medical practice, such as collecting a CSAT or NPS score, you can use one of these questions. These questions typically work best as Yes/No or numerical questions so you can analyze numerical data over time.
- How satisfied are you with your overall experience at our [clinic or hospital name] on a scale of 1-5? 1 being very unsatisfied and 5 being very satisfied.
- How likely are you to recommend our practice to family or friends on a scale of 0-10, with 10 being very highly likely.
- Did you feel that your healthcare needs were fully met today? Yes/No.
3 questions about patient satisfaction with appointment scheduling
If you’re looking to get an overall gist of how satisfied patients are with your appointment scheduling abilities, use one of these questions. These questions can be set on numerical scales, Yes/No, or open ended questions. The most important is that you make it clear to patients what the scale is to measure satisfaction
- How easy was it to schedule your appointment on a scale of 1-5? 1 (very hard) 5 (very easy)
- How satisfied are you with the wait time between scheduling and your appointment date on a scale of 1-5? 5 very satisfied, 1 very unsatisfied
- Were appointment reminders (text, call, or email) helpful and timely? Yes/No
3 questions about satisfaction with provider interactions
If you’re looking to get an overall gist of how satisfied patients are with provider actions and interactions, use one of these satisfaction questions. You can either request feedback on a numerical scale, yes/no, or open ended question.
Pro tip: Always set a follow up question to request more information about the reason for the answer!
- Do you feel like your provider listened carefully to your concerns? Yes/No
- How clearly did your provider explain your diagnosis and treatment options on a scale of 1-10? 1 being not clear at all, 10 being very clear.
- Did you feel your provider spent enough time with you during the visit? Yes/No
3 questions about staff interactions
In addition to understanding a provider’s interaction with patients, it’s a good idea to check how satisfied patients are with other common staff interactions.
- How would you rate the courtesy and professionalism of our front desk staff on a scale of 1-5? (5 exceptional, 1 very poor)
- Were staff members responsive to your questions? Yes/No
- Did staff at [healthcare entity] make you feel comfortable and respected during your visit? Yes/No
3 questions about customer service in healthcare
Beyond the care a patient received during the visit, it’s also important to understand satisfaction with all areas of the patient experience. To better understand how your patients feel about customer service in healthcare consider using one of the the following questions:
- Was your billing process explained clearly?
- Did you receive timely responses to phone calls, texts, or emails?
- How satisfied are you with the support you received outside of your appointment?
3 questions about satisfaction with the facility and cleanliness
Another good question to ask is on the realm of facility cleanliness. Use one of these questions to understand how patients feel about the facility cleanliness.
- How would you rate the cleanliness of the exam rooms?
- Did the waiting area feel clean, comfortable, and welcoming?
- Did the facility feel safe and well-maintained?
3 questions about overall communication
When assessing overall communication, providers can ask questions that uncover how well information was shared, how clear instructions were, and whether patients felt supported across the care team. For example:
- How satisfied are you with updates about your care (test results, follow-ups, etc.)?
- Did you feel communication between different members of the care team was effective?
- Were instructions for medications, follow-ups, or at-home care clear and easy to understand?
5 open ended questions to gather qualitative data
Sometimes, you may want to get more qualitative data for your understanding of patient satisfaction. In that case, use one of our open-ended questions:
- What did you appreciate most about your visit with us?
- Is there anything we could have done to make your experience better?
- What stood out to you, positively or negatively, about your experience with our facility?
- If you could change one thing about your visit, what would it be?
- Is there anything you’d like us to know about your experience that wasn’t covered in the previous questions?
<h2 id="Channels">Top delivery channels for patient satisfaction surveys</h2>
The best delivery channel for your patient satisfaction surveys will largely depend on your unique business needs and patient preferences. Some patients will prefer email communication, while others prefer text messaging. There's no one-size-fits-all channel that works best, but understanding what channels your patients prefer will help you collect more responses.
Here’s a breakdown of some of the top delivery channels used by healthcare entities everywhere.
- SMS. Text messaging is growing in popularity as a survey delivery channel because it is well read and well responded to. In fact SMS offers 45% response rates, and 98% open rates, ensuring your survey gets seen.
- Email. Email is another widely used channel for sending patient satisfaction surveys. It’s convenient, cost-effective, and allows providers to share longer surveys that may not fit well in a text message. Emails also give you room to brand the survey with your logo, colors, and a more professional design, which can help reinforce trust. The downside is that email open rates are generally lower than SMS, averaging around 20–30%, and patients may overlook the survey if their inbox is crowded.
- Phone. Some healthcare organizations still rely on phone calls, either live or automated, to conduct satisfaction surveys. While this method can feel more personal, it’s often more time-consuming and typically results in lower response rates compared to text or email
<h2 id="Example">A full patient satisfaction survey example</h2>
If you want to create a comprehensive multi-question patient satisfaction survey, simply just take a few of the questions from above and add them into a Google Form. This will allow you to collect responses at scale.
For example, here’s a mix of the questions to gauge patient satisfaction. You can even send a link to your longer survey via text or email!
<h2 id="FAQ">Frequently asked questions about patient satisfaction surveys</h2>
Here are some top-asked questions about patient satisfaction surveys.
How many questions should my survey contain?
The answer is, it depends! If you’re looking to get a full picture of satisfaction, you can ask a series of questions, such as one from each bucket on our list. Alternatively, if you’re looking for a high response rate to an NPS question, you may only need one.
Why are SMS patient satisfaction surveys a top delivery channel?
Ultimately, texting gets more responses. It far surpasses email’s open and reply rates, making it a channel that is effective for collecting patient feedback. Plus, SMS platforms like Textline are HIPAA compliant, ensuring your text surveys meet those strict data protection requirements.
Can I send HCAHPS surveys via text?
Yes! In 2025, CMS began allowing the use of electronic HCAHPS surveys. As a result, healthcare entities can now deliver these surveys via text message using an electronic survey link.
Capture patient feedback in lightning speed with Textline
Textline is a HIPAA-compliant SMS platform that offers built-in survey functionality. Seamlessly create NPS, CSAT, or custom surveys for patients with utmost ease, or send your electronic HCAHPS survey via text for faster, better results.
