06 Nov How can these services be tracked, monitored, and implemented in a practice with technology. Incorporate PCDA, six sigma, or other process improvement strategies in your response. Part 2 Af

Jenny

Plan, Do, Check/Study, Act (PDCA) Cycle helps the healthcare organization plan how they will test the change (Plan), try the change on a small scale (Do), observe results of the change (Check/Study), and take action on what was learned by adapting, adopting, or abandoning the plan (Act). Another PDCA cycle can be created to implement the new changes on a small scale and over time, the change can be implemented on a large scale. Ensuring the implementations are tested on different staff, shifts, units, and seasons will help reduce breakdowns. Listening to those who are part of the small scale implementations also help prevent future errors or delays.

The Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) ask patients what happened when they received care, rather than focusing on how they felt about it. CAHPS uses a standard set of questions, which enables healthcare organizations to compare their scores with others. This helps them pinpoint where improvements need to be made. Providers can use this information to look for trends in the scores over time and comparing the results with patient complaints.

The Press Ganey survey is made up of 20 questions and asks about a patient's experience during their visit. Surveys are best asked while the patient is still admitted, the hospital staff is able rectify any concerns before the patients discharged. Surveys typically have a low response rate and the data that is received may be from a visit that happened 2-3 months ago. This causes lags in improvements.

References:

AHRQ Patient Safety. (2019, April 4).  Reasons to choose a CAHPS survey. YouTube. Retrieved November 2, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jhl_JVkqVf0

Khilnani, S. (2022).  HCI 320: HCI Data Standards & Interoperability.  Week 7 Patient Satisfaction. Bellevue College. Retrieved November 2, 2022.

Mastroma, M. (2016, August 30).  Plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycle. YouTube. Retrieved November 2, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hCWdJ_W9Ws

Thomas

An office's telephone service can immediately define a patient's opinion and first thoughts of the practice, which can define their level of satisfaction. The quality of this service can be tracked by conducting online patient surveys and recording every call received/made to monitor the quality. A plan to have a weekly phone log audit and survey review could be made. While executing the plan, the reviewers could take notes on the positive and negatives things that they see reoccurring and have monthly meeting to go over everything they've collected. They could then assess if the plan works or if it needs to be redone.

Office cleanliness stands as one of the most crucial aspects of patient satisfaction, due to the fact that these are medical facilities. The cleanliness of a medical facility can define an office's level of care as well as the patient's level of comfort with the practice as a whole. This can be tracked by creating a routine cleaning schedule involving the staff or a vendor. The use of patient and staff surveys could be used to track the cleanliness of facility. Reviewers could study the results each month and then determine their level of cleanliness and how they should proceed forward. They could then decide if this plan works or if it needs to be rethought. 

The willingness of a provider to educate their patients shows that they provide higher quality of care. Providers could create visuals, pamphlets, presentations etc. to help them better explain concepts, ailments, conditions etc. to their patients. A question on the patient survey could ask how satisfied they are with the level of knowledge provided by their providers and/or if they would like more. A review of the survey results would tell them the direction they should proceed, as well as if a new plan must be made. 

Sam

The three services I identified from the reading that relate to patient satisfaction include patient education, doctor-patient interaction, and patient satisfaction surveys. These services are essential in healthcare facilities since they ensure that the patients receive quality services from healthcare professionals. Patient satisfaction is mainly influenced by their expectations (Andrea, 2020). Patient satisfaction surveys are one way to track and monitor patient satisfaction. They can be administered electronically or in person and can be used to measure various factors, including waiting times, staff attitudes, and facility cleanliness. The results of the survey are used during decision-making to determine areas that need to be improved. For instance, if patients waiting time is a lot, the healthcare facilities can develop strategies and make decisions that will help improve the waiting time. Technology is implemented to track patient satisfaction through patient portals and online feedback forms. Additionally, patient education is another service that relates to patient satisfaction. Patient education can be delivered using various educational tools, such as videos, pamphlets, or computer-based programs (Prakash, 2010). These tools can track the patient’s understanding of the material and provide feedback to the healthcare provider. Patient education is essential since it helps improve patient adherence to various treatments and medications, promoting patient satisfaction. Finally, in doctor-patient interaction, technology can track how often patients are seen, how long they are seen, and what kind of interactions they have with their doctor. The information can be used to improve the doctor-patient relationship and make sure that patients are getting the care they need. Therefore, healthcare professionals should enhance their interpersonal skills, be present and listen to their needs to increase patient satisfaction (Renee, 2012). All of these strategies can be used to improve patient satisfaction in a healthcare setting. By tracking and monitoring patient satisfaction, healthcare providers can point out the areas of advancement and make changes to their practice to better meet the needs of their patients.

 

 

References

Andrea Eisenberg. (JUNE 18, 2020). What is patient satisfaction, and why does it matter? Retrieved from: https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/expert-insights/what-is-patient-satisfaction-and-why-does-it-matter?utm_source=CJ&utm_medium=100357191&utm_campaign=Microsoft+Shopping+(Bing+Rebates,+Coupons,+etc.)&utm_content=12628705&cjevent=26bcc63e3b8111ed80ccad780a1c0e0e&cm_mmc=AffiliateLinks-_-CJ-_-LinksClicked-_-SKU&cjdata=MXxOfDB8WXww

Prakash, B. (2010). Patient satisfaction. Journal of cutaneous and aesthetic surgery, 3(3), 151.

Renee Walters. (Mar 3, 2012). Patient Satisfaction: The Ultimate Benchmark. Retrieved: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7j_dLJgSoFI

 

Lisa

Name 3 services (found in your reading) that relate to patient satisfaction. How can these services be tracked, monitored, and implemented in a practice with technology. Incorporate PCDA, six sigma, or other process improvement strategies in your response.

 

Healthcare patient satisfaction is available to anyone with technological devices with internet and social media.

The first of three areas for patient satisfaction “Civility.” Respond to a patient with respect. Being respectful will calm anxious nerves.

The second area is to encourage the patient to have an active engagement in their personal care with the decision process.

The third area is all employees wear the appropriate attire in representing the facility.

Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) is a four-step cycle management tool for maintaining and improve process and services received by patients in healthcare.

1. Plan – create the policy guide for employees.

2. Do – Implement guide/standards of the facility to all employees.

3. Check – Gather data to ensure guide/standards are successful.

4. Act – Monitor results and reiterate guide/standards to keep improving.

E.W. Deming, Quality Management tool is simple, fix the process that allowed the mistake to happen.  The focal point is on the system improvement and the organization working as a whole structure.

https://digital.ahrq.gov/health-it-tools-and-resources/evaluation-resources/workflow-assessment-health-it-toolkit/all-workflow-tools/plan-do-check-act-cycle Links to an external site.

Deming’s Theory for Quality Improvement

https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/expert-insights/what-is-patient-satisfaction-and-why-does-it-matter?utm_source=CJ&utm_medium=100357191&utm_campaign=Microsoft+Shopping+%28Bing+Rebates%2C+Coupons%2C+etc.%29&utm_content=12628705&cjevent=26bcc63e3b8111ed80ccad780a1c0e0e&cm_mmc=AffiliateLinks-_-CJ-_-LinksClicked-_-SKU&cjdata=MXxOfDB8WXww

Miranda

Name 3 services (found in your reading) that relate to patient satisfaction.

Service Recovery/Communication– Engage the patient which promotes empathy.  Listening to what they want and what they expect will encourage trust. 

Press Ganey/Real Time Surveys – Give the patients a voice, it will create loyalty. 

Suggestion Box – If patients feel like they are a part of something they will want to create a culture of improvement.  They will feel more empowered knowing what they think or say matters. 

How can these services be tracked, monitored, and implemented in practice with technology. Incorporate PCDA, six sigma, or other process improvement strategies in your response.

PDCA or plan, do, check, act is a four-step cycle to implement change by solving problems and improving processes. 

Six Sigma using statistics and data analysis to analyze and reduce errors. 

Total Quality Management improves customer satisfaction by getting the entire organization on board with continuous process improvements. 

 

By tracking all the survey answers and submissions from the suggestion box a data dashboard can be created.  Then root cause analysis can be used to understand the underlying cause of the  issues.  After the issues are identified, PDCA can be utilized to implement change by solving problems and improving processes.  To finish it off, Top Quality Management could get everyone on board to benefit from success through customer satisfaction.

References

Eisenberg, A., MD. (2020, August 26).  What is patient satisfaction and why does it matter?  https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/expert-insights/what-is-patient-satisfaction-and-why-does-it-matter?utm_source=CJ Links to an external site.

Prakash B. (2010). Patient satisfaction.  Journal of cutaneous and aesthetic surgery,  3(3), 151–155.  https://doi.org/10.4103/0974-2077.74491 Links to an external site.

 Jason

Timeliness of phone calls, appointments, and results

Improving patient satisfaction begins with developing an easy-to-use appointment scheduling experience. Create a booking system that allows patients to arrange appointments any way they like, whether by phone, email, online or in person. Make certain that the online appointment scheduling system appears professional and is simple to use. Attempt to keep the phone lines open throughout the day. When taking phone calls, try to be as prompt as possible and avoid keeping the patients on hold for longer than necessary. After a patient has scheduled an appointment, email or texts them a reminder around a week before the appointment with instructions for the location. This gives the patient ample time to reschedule if necessary or contact the front desk staff with any questions. When the patient arrives for the appointment, the front desk staff should greet them with a smile and assist them in checking inefficiently. If there is a wait, patients should be directed to a waiting room and given an estimate of their wait time. Try to stick to the appointment schedule as much as possible and do not keep patients waiting unnecessarily. Also, return phone calls and update patients about test findings in a timely manner.

Positive interaction with physicians and staff

To improve patient satisfaction, doctors and nurses should be straightforward and direct about the treatment plan and what treatments they will perform. Allow patients plenty of opportunities to ask questions regarding their care and provide direct and detailed replies. Staff and doctors should remain in character as caregivers and keep communication focused on the patient while providing care. This includes greeting patients as they enter the office and checking them out. Nowadays, some patients are using technology to communicate with doctors and nurses via videos or telephone calls. While using this telecommunications provider and nurse, make sure that the patient is comfortable and listens to them carefully so that they can diagnose the problem and provide possible treatment to the patient.

Cleanliness

No patient wants to be treated in an unsafe or unsanitary environment. Cleanliness in all sections of the institution, from the waiting room to the physician's office, protects and relaxes patients. It is also one of the key areas assessed by the HCAHPS survey.

References:

What Is Patient Satisfaction and Why Does It Matter? | Wolters KluwerLinks to an external site. Links to an external site.

Patient Satisfaction – PMC (nih.gov)

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Sam

Name 3 services (found in your reading) that relate to patient satisfaction.

Service Recovery/Communication– Engage the patient which promotes empathy.  Listening to what they want and what they expect will encourage trust. 

Press Ganey/Real Time Surveys – Give the patients a voice, it will create loyalty. 

Suggestion Box – If patients feel like they are a part of something they will want to create a culture of improvement.  They will feel more empowered knowing what they think or say matters. 

How can these services be tracked, monitored, and implemented in practice with technology. Incorporate PCDA, six sigma, or other process improvement strategies in your response.

PDCA or plan, do, check, act is a four-step cycle to implement change by solving problems and improving processes. 

Six Sigma using statistics and data analysis to analyze and reduce errors. 

Total Quality Management improves customer satisfaction by getting the entire organization on board with continuous process improvements. 

 

By tracking all the survey answers and submissions from the suggestion box a data dashboard can be created.  Then root cause analysis can be used to understand the underlying cause of the  issues.  After the issues are identified, PDCA can be utilized to implement change by solving problems and improving processes.  To finish it off, Top Quality Management could get everyone on board to benefit from success through customer satisfaction.

References

Eisenberg, A., MD. (2020, August 26). What is patient satisfaction and why does it matter?  https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/expert-insights/what-is-patient-satisfaction-and-why-does-it-matter?utm_source=CJ Links to an external site.

Prakash B. (2010). Patient satisfaction. Journal of cutaneous and aesthetic surgery, 3(3), 151–155.  https://doi.org/10.4103/0974-2077.74491 Links to an external site.

 

Lisa reply to Sam 

Awesome post! I really like your descriptions of six sigma and PDCA and how you connect them. Conducting an in-depth analysis and then proceeding to a PDCA would likely decrease the number of times a PDCA would need to be conducted. I also like your suggestion of the comment box. I totally forgot they exist! 

Thomas

I think 3 services that relate to patient satisfaction are Telephone service, waiting time, and office appearance. Phone calls can be use to schedule, survey, or to ask for information/questions. They can be recorded and entered into a database to either review information or change it. Asking people or timing how long a patient waits before getting care can be used to measure the waiting time using camera, sign-in times, or motion tracked maybe. Then using that data can see if waiting time in general or specific events are too long and find ways to reduce it for next time. For office appearance, surveying people on their experience waiting or in the building on how the clean, organized the room(s) were and how were the staff members behavior or vibe that they gave. This can be an online or paper form that patients use and can be used to see if there are any problems to be sorted.

Angela reply to Thomas

Thomas, 

I agree that patient input via surveys would be the main method to check if the plans are working. When it comes to phone calls, it might be beneficial to record them and to designate a team to inspect their quality and take note of the positives and negatives.