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As an industry, healthcare has paid an increasing amount of attention to meeting patient's needs. There's even
encouraging data from Press Ganey that shows that patient satisfaction for both inpatients and outpatients has
steadily increased by two to four percent in the past four years.
Yet, when the first HCAHPS study was published, only 67 percent of patients would recommend their hospitals to
others. So what's an organization to do to boost these scores so they keep pace with patient expectations?
First, don't despair. The increased attention being paid to customer service has indeed made a difference in
overall inpatient and outpatient satisfaction as evidenced by the scores. HCAHPS is relatively new in its reporting
cycle, and like early patient satisfaction measures, will improve as hospitals become more attuned to what really
drives patient satisfaction.
Stay focused on positive outcomes.
The key during this transition is to make certain that the organizational eye stays focused on satisfaction and moving
patients toward being delighted with their care. A great start to achieving that focus and attention is by remembering
the following things:
Deliver care to the individual-Your patient doesn't want to be thought of as a number, a diagnosis
or a body part. They want to be treated as individuals and want to feel relevant in the care process. In order to
deliver this personalized care, your responsiveness in providing information is one of the highest priorities. They
don't want to be left in the dark and want to know that you not only understand what they're going through, but
also that you deliver care in such a way as to minimize the inconvenience.
Be sure that you deliver what you say you deliver-Whether you find out through an external mystery shopper or your
own internal sleuthing, making certain that you deliver on your promise. If you advertise 30-minute turnaround in the ER, are you
really delivering that? Do you promise same-day appointments? Results in 24 hours or less? Easy access to scheduling? Whatever it is,
make certain that you deliver on the measurable elements as well as the customer experience elements. If you get your appointment
immediately, but are treated rudely in the process, you haven't gained much ground!
Listen, listen, listen-Staying current with the experience requires a daily discipline of
listening and observing. Make it a part of your day to sit in waiting rooms, observe interactions between patients
and staff and test your system to see how it's working. Survey feedback can be valuable in quantifying consistency
over time, but it's no substitute for being out there every day making sure your system and processes are working
on behalf of the patient.
Keep in mind that quality is a baseline expectation. What patients remember after their visit is how you made them
feel along the way. Focusing on these areas will most certainly move you closer to patient satisfaction.
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