The Patient Experience ( Px )

Many healthcare leaders are advocates for, and believe that patient engagement and experience has gained true importance and value in improving healthcare quality, it has easily become the ‘heart’ of the core definition of ‘quality care’. It is clear that patients are able to provide expertise beyond generic feedback on ways of improving the patient experience.

The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers (HCAHPS) began in 2006 with a 27 question survey that is distributed to discharged patients. This survey process was originally designed to help patients compare hospitals in their area to be able to make an informed choice for their healthcare needs. In January 2013, five additional questions were added to the survey. Beginning this year, Medicare reimbursement rates to a hospital are tied to the hospital’s patient satisfaction scores. Therefore, hospitals are continually looking for ways to improve

Nevertheless, many organizations continue to struggle with what “it” is. This ambiguity ultimately leaves many with vague or muddled expectations for what constitutes patient-centered care. Is it a surprise, then, that many leaders report feeling bewildered at how to go about becoming more patient-centered? Or that others, convinced that their approach is indeed a patient-centered one, are surprised to find data reflecting patient and/or staff discontent? In the broadest terms, patient-centered care is care organized around the patient. It is a model in which providers partner with patients and families to identify and satisfy the full range of patient needs and preferences. Not to be overlooked in defining patient-centered care is its concurrent focus on staff. To succeed, a patient-centered approach must also address the staff experience, as staff’s ability and inclination to effectively care for patients is unquestionably compromised if they do not feel cared for themselves. Although patients may not always be able to accurately assess the clinical quality of their care, or whether safety processes are in place, patient safety and high clinical quality are fundamental to a patient-centered approach. Patient-centered care does not replace excellent medicine―it both complements clinical excellence and contributes to it through effective partnerships and communication. A wealth of resources exists to guide organizations in addressing clinical

Healthcare is in a constant state of change with movements that impact rates, access and quality of care. Hospitals have become more competitive due to the rising cost of care delivery and the reduction in reimbursement from payers. This causes difficulty in delivering quality care to all patients, which is being measured by mandated patient perception surveys, Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS). HCAHPS scores are part of value

The change to value based purchasing has bought many challenges to the healthcare industry. With the change to value-based purchasing for payments, it has changed how healthcare organization receive payment and delivery care. The advantage of have value based purchasing is that it improves the quality of care while reducing cost in an effort of aligning patient’s with the right provider and treatment plan (Minemyer, Jun 29, 2016). However, there are many disadvantages, such as it increases the patient volume as counteracting the reduction of procedure volume (Brown, B. & Crapo, 2016). Also it makes providers more responsible for care that is beyond the expected treatment of care needed (Minemyer, Jun 29, 2016). With quality measures tied

With patients today using the threat of reporting low satisfaction rates in the hopes of receiving faster or higher quality care, they seem to have taken the upper hand in some of the decision making of what will take place in the healthcare world (Sullivan). But is it really the survey results that will make the drastic changes that are needed?

patient and family satisfaction could go a long way to advance the quality of patient care throughout the hospital.

This coaching and execution package will start by teaching the meaning of the principles. The Nine Principles™ of service and organizational excellence instills what everyone within and associated with the medical center believe to be the best experience possible. The first principle is to commit to Excellence. Any type of change within an organization requires buy-in from all staff starting at the top of the executive chain. The second principle is to measure the important things. This would be measurement of what the strategic goals have set in place and allows the medical center to keep up with the progress on a monthly basis rather than quarterly. The third principle is to build a culture around service. In order to increase patient or in this case veteran satisfaction all employees will need to learn the process that has been tested and laid out by the Studer Group®. The process teaches that the process should be the norm and it should become “hardwired into the organization’s process.” This will require the medical center to put in place scripting for how to communicate. The scripting of behaviors, establishment of teams, teaching service recovery, and the development of performance standards will also enable to medical center to perform excellent care. The fourth principle is to create and develop leaders. The Studer Group® places great emphasis on developing leaders. So much so that they will provide instructional training to the

Patient satisfaction: This issue can affect funding, revenue and reimbursement from insurance providers. Patient satisfaction can be affected by nearly any aspect of the hospital experience, surveys are done randomly to gain insight on the patients overall treatment at the facility. Negative feedback can cause assumptions about treatment and quality by the HCO as well as decrease in incoming patients.

The Association for Patient Experience (AfPE) works with different health care professionals together in order to improve patient care throughout the whole health care system (Association for Patient Experience, 2014).

The 1st Lesson: Hospital values must be in line with what patients want. The key driver for patient satisfaction is the courtesy, not efficiency of the hospital. Patients judge the service received by courtesy, but employees are managed according to efficiency and safety. Although provide safe care is paramount, the hospitals do not learn any credit for providing safe clinical practice and environmental safety.

Patient engagement has been an important issue in the healthcare industry. There has been a strong need to increase the patient’s involvement and control over their own care. Providing patients the power needed to take control of their health has never been as effortless as it is today. The range of technology that is available to us should allow hospitals to implement multiple tools to increase patient engagement. But as everyone knows the healthcare industry is always behind when it comes to putting new ideas and technology into action. The fact that the healthcare industry is overdue when it comes to new technology and consumer satisfaction is not acceptable. It’s the one industry that should be the leader in consumer care and satisfaction.

This will help with revenue and keeping their business growing. Customer service is kind of different in healthcare. Even though healthcare professionals do their jobs and take care of their patient’s needs, customer satisfaction has never really been a must. It is usually understood, do the minimum and get them in and out of the office and on to the next patient. We all know that when patients get sick they usually do not want to go to the doctor but they know it is a necessity. Since it is not an option, but a necessity; patients sometimes feel they do not deserve superior treatment. Now that there’s a patient satisfaction survey this will change the way customer service works due to the patient 's rating their experience. Therefore, the hospitals have to step up their game and set different rules. There needs to be many changes made from communication between staff, the quality of care, and the patient 's visit with the healthcare provider in order to increase their ratings.

At Ohio Health, customer service is very important. Ohio Health’s customer service standards are to value every individual, provide a trusting and caring environment, be sympathetic of other’s situations, and to exceed expectations (Ohio Health, 2013). My unit values customer service in the same manner as the organization. It is important as the nurse to ensure that everyone, not just the patient, is receiving excellent customer service. This includes the patient’s family members, outside vendors, and even staff members from other departments. Customer service is measured on my unit and the organization by using Press-Ganey surveys. The survey is mailed to patients after they have been

How were staff involved in assuring that the patient experience would be at its highest levels?