Grids vs Ranking Matrices in Healthcare Feedback

Grids and ranking matrices are often seen as an efficient way to gather comparative feedback in surveys — you’re allowing respondents to rate multiple items using the same criteria, which is a structured and condensed way to collect data. 

However, when it comes to healthcare feedback, this efficiency may come at the cost of clarity and accuracy.

While grids offer convenience, breaking down questions into individual items with dedicated rankings often leads to richer, more reliable insights. This article explores whether individual questions are the better choice for healthcare feedback surveys.

The challenges of using grids in surveys

For context, here is what a typical grid question looks like:

Grids may seem like an obvious choice for gathering feedback across multiple touchpoints, but their format introduces some significant drawbacks:

• Survey fatigue: Large or overly detailed grids can overwhelm respondents, leading to rushed answers or incomplete surveys. Since healthcare feedback requires thoughtfulness, this can compromise the quality of the data.‍
• Loss of context: Grouping multiple items risks stripping individual elements of their unique context: e.g., rating “staff friendliness” alongside “facility cleanliness” in the same grid may blur the importance of each.‍
• Cognitive overload: Respondents may struggle to apply the same scale to different concepts, leading to inconsistencies: for instance, a patient might not rate “waiting time” and “doctor communication” using the same mental framework.‍
• Analysis limitations: While grids provide structured data, they often lack the depth needed for actionable insights. It’s harder to delve into why a specific element scored poorly when it’s part of a grid rather than an individual question.

Where do individual questions outperform grids?

As structured as grids may be, they often fall short of capturing the depth and clarity needed. Individual questions, on the other hand, provide a more focused — and sometimes even more intuitive — way for patients to share their experiences. 

Here is an example of a survey that uses individual questions instead of a grid:

And here’s where individual questions excel:

• Focused feedback: Individual questions allow respondents to give thoughtful, specific answers. A standalone question about “staff communication” provides clearer insights than when it’s lumped into a grid with unrelated items.‍
• Better patient experience: Surveys with individual questions feel more intuitive and patient-friendly. They reduce cognitive load, ensuring respondents remain engaged throughout the survey.‍
• Easier to analyze and act on: With individual questions, it’s easier to pinpoint exactly where improvements are needed. If patients consistently rate “appointment scheduling” poorly, you know exactly what to focus on.‍
• Flexibility for customization: Individual questions can be tailored to specific feedback goals; you can adapt follow-up questions based on responses, offering more personalized and actionable data.

Insider tips for breaking down grids into individual questions

If you’re struggling with grids in your survey, here’s how to transition to individual questions effectively:

• Keep questions short and direct: Avoid long or overly detailed prompts. Clear, concise questions maintain engagement and yield higher-quality responses.‍
• Use consistent scales across questions: To make data analysis easier, apply the same scale (e.g., 1–5) across individual questions, even when they’re separate.‍
• Group related questions sequentially: While separating items into individual questions, group related topics together (e.g., “waiting time” followed by “staff interaction”) to maintain a logical flow.‍
• Pilot test your survey: Before deploying a fully individual-question survey, test it with a small sample to ensure it’s easy to navigate and generates actionable feedback.

The takeaway

While grid questions may seem efficient, their drawbacks often outweigh their benefits. Breaking feedback into individual, focused questions ensures greater clarity, deeper insights, and a more patient-friendly experience. Opting for this approach helps gather more meaningful data and creates a clearer roadmap for improving care quality — ultimately, it’s about prioritizing the accuracy and depth of feedback over convenience, leading to better outcomes for both patients and providers.