In this information age, patients have come to rely more and more on quality measures available online from nationally recognized organizations such as Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS). For many years, quality measures have been based primarily on clinical outcomes, reflecting the degree of medical expertise of the hospital staff. However, in recent years the focus of these quality measures has shifted to include patient satisfaction and the overall patient experience. This shift is forcing hospitals to rethink the way they serve their patients.
- Communication with doctors
- Communication with nurses
- Responsiveness of hospital staff
- Pain management
- Communication about medicines
- Discharge information
- Cleanliness of the hospital environment
- Quietness of the hospital environment
The survey is 27 questions in length and includes four screener questions and five demographic items, which are used for adjusting the mix of patients across hospitals and for analytical purposes.
Achieving the desired results in this survey requires sound communication and collaboration between the staff education department, administration, nursing, physicians and all clinical specialty areas. We are fortunate at Cleveland Clinic to have a culture built on a collaborative team approach in the diagnosis and treatment of patients, with the goal of improving patient outcomes and experience. All efforts are made to facilitate and encourage this collaboration, from the floor plan and building design to the innovative initiatives administration has implemented recently. One such initiative involves “Shift to Shift” reports, in which on-coming and off-going nurses exchange information about the patients care bedside, offering patients the opportunity to give feedback or input. Another program involves the utilization of a discharge nurse. A significant amount of information is provided to and shared with the patient at time of discharge, which can be both overwhelming and time consuming. The role of the discharge nurse is to focus on taking time to review the discharge information with the patient and / or family in a way that they can understand, and to provide an opportunity for questions to be asked. The goal is for the patient to leave the facility with a clear understanding of the information provided upon discharge and to reduce the anxiety of “what happens next.” Both initiatives enhance the flow of information, which can reduce complications and recovery times, ultimately improving the patient experience. I believe the industry is ready for competition in creating a better overall patient experience, as it can only benefit patients and society as a whole. Cleveland Clinic has for years been the leader in clinical outcomes, and is now on target to not only meet patient satisfaction standards, but redefine the concept of what truly represents an exceptional patient experience.
