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Patient satisfaction is important to health care facilities because a satisfied customer tends to return for additional services. Identifying the characteristics that increase patient satisfaction can help facilities improve their process. Few studies have directly evaluated imaging departments, but the literature from other health care specialties can be applied when the environment is similar. Having a pleasant waiting experience has shown to have a positive impact on patients' overall satisfaction and perceived quality of care. Factors that have been linked to improved patient satisfaction include decreased wait time, decreased perceived length of wait time, and increased communication through written information or increased face-to-face time with a provider.

In 2014, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey estimated that 35% of adults (body mass index [BMI] >30) and 17% of youth (BMI above 95th percentile of age-and sex-specific charts) in the United States were clinically obese. 1 As obesity continues to increase, sonographers and other medical professionals must be devoted to giving unbiased care with confidence and positive attitudes. Current literature suggests that a large percentage of medical professionals are weight biased or have negative attitudes when treating overweight or obese patients. 2-11 Some physicians simply lack adequate resources and training to provide adequate care for this group of patients. This literature review examines the negative attitudes of medical professionals toward overweight patients, leading to inadequate patient counseling, treatment, and other consequences. By evaluating research focused on this topic, it is hoped that sonographers may be made more aware of the potential for weight bias when interacting with patients and how that can affect patient treatment. Provider Perspectives Provider Perspectives of Causes for ObesityHarvey and Hill 2 surveyed 255 physicians, who listed their five top-rated causative factors for becoming overweight as physical inactivity, food addiction, personality, depression leading to overeating, and a lack of willpower. Less controllable factors such as metabolic defects, fat cell defects, and age were rated lowest as causes for becoming overweight. 2 Thuan and Avignon 3 reported on 607 physicians, who noted poor compliance or lack of willpower in most of their patients. Overall, obese patients were considered responsible for recognizing their weight as a problem and doing something about the situation. 2,3 Provider Attitudes Toward Obese PatientsSabin et al 4 studied 2384 physicians, who showed strong obesity bias regardless of whether the physicians themselves were underweight, normal weight, or overweight. Medical students have shown similar biased attitudes, with results indicating higher negativity when interacting with the obese patient versus the nonobese patient. 4,5 Physicians described obese patients as having unrealistic goals; 66% of 607 physicians believed few patients could lose weight and maintain that loss. 3 Other caregivers have shown similar attitudes; 60% of nurses polled believed 557278J DMXXX10.1177/8756479314557278Journal of Diagnostic Medical SonographyDiGiacinto et al research-article2014Abstract A significant number of Americans are obese. Weight bias and negative attitudes have been documented among medical professionals, and these may cause obese patients to avoid seeking health care, leading to undiagnosed pathology. Some physicians lack adequate resources and patient counseling skills when addressing patient weight management. This may lead to continued weight problems and associated complications for the patient. Many physicians do not address patient obesity with urgency and determination, even though most physicians consider obesity a widespread, problem...

Uterine artery pseudoaneurysm is an uncommon vascular lesion that can be life threatening. A ruptured uterine artery pseudoaneurysm can cause acute massive hemorrhaging, creating a true emergency for the postpartum patient. The etiology is more commonly seen with traumatic procedures such as cesarean delivery or curettage. This case report is of a patient with a history of HELLP (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelet count) syndrome who presented with heavy bleeding after a cesarean delivery. Sonography was primarily used to diagnose the uterine artery pseudoaneurysm. Because of the massive hemorrhaging in this case, a hysterectomy was performed.