SDS Accreditation Update: Evaluate results of patient surveys carefully
SDS Accreditation Update
Evaluate results of patient surveys carefully
Look for trends, conduct studies to verify data
A well-managed and carefully-monitored patient satisfaction improvement project is one reason that staff members at The Urologic Surgical Center in Lancaster, PA, received good marks and positive comments from their surveyor in January 2007.
"We are a small, single-specialty surgical center, so it's not a very complicated survey," says Veronica Aston-Rickenbach, RN, nurse manager of the center. "The surveyor did use the tracer method to follow patients through their surgical day, but our staff members were well prepared and ready to answer questions," she says. Aston-Rickenbach also was prepared with performance improvement studies.
One of the ongoing performance improvement projects that the surveyor reviewed for the surgery program is patient satisfaction. "We give a patient satisfaction survey to every patient before they leave," explains Aston-Rickenbach. "Patients can either complete them in the office or mail them back to us."
By offering patients a chance to complete the survey in the office, Aston-Rickenbach's return rate is 50%. "I review every survey and track the results to report to our board of directors," she says.
Every negative response is investigated by Aston-Rickenbach, and trends are reviewed to make sure that there is no ongoing problem at the center, she says. "It is important to investigate trends as well as individual responses to get a true picture of complaints," she says.
Other sources recommend that staff members reply to patients who express dissatisfaction so that they know their complaint is taken seriously. Thank-you notes to patients who return surveys and sharing copies of positive surveys with physicians are two other ways to use patient surveys to strengthen relationships, sources say.
Waiting times a problem
While patients rate her center's service positively, the one area that constantly results in some negative responses is waiting times, admits Aston-Rickenbach. The perception of how long is too long varies widely from patient to patient, she admits.
"It's important to remember that some patients consider a five-minute wait too long, while other patients don't think that anything is wrong with a 25-minute wait," Aston-Rickenbach says.
"When reviewing patient satisfaction trends, I have to evaluate the problem and determine if there is anything that can be done to improve," she says. When patient surveys did show a slight increase in complaints about waiting time, Aston-Rickenbach conducted a time analysis study in which the time interval between the patient's arrival and the time the patient was seen were measured. "We found that our waiting times were not unreasonable" she says. Waiting times were often less than 20 minutes, she adds.
To address patient's concerns about waiting, the center's staff are quick to apology to patients and their family members for any waits, says Aston-Rickenbach. "We explain the reason for the wait, such as an earlier procedure took longer than expected, so that they know the reason is related to patient care," she says. "If we know that a physician is running well behind schedule, we inform the patient and ask if they'd prefer to reschedule their appointment." Printed information that explains what patients can expect during the visit also can explain why there may be delays on some days, sources add.
In this world of fast food, high-speed Internet, and overnight delivery of packages, Aston-Rickenbach does not expect complaints of wait times to completely disappear, but "we must look carefully at the results of patient surveys and find ways to address concerns, even if we can't eliminate the waiting completely," she says.
A well-managed and carefully-monitored patient satisfaction improvement project is one reason that staff members at The Urologic Surgical Center in Lancaster, PA, received good marks and positive comments from their surveyor in January 2007.Subscribe Now for Access
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