Hospitals Focus on Customer Service
In order to increase customer satisfaction hospitals are adding amenities to attract patients, reports Business First of Louisville. Customer service is a growing trend and hospitals are looking for unique ways to focus on customers. The University of Louisville Hospital’s food service has added “At your request,” a system that serves food to patients who are admitted at odd hours.
According to Tony Bohn, vice president of Baptist Hospital East (part of the Baptist Healthcare System), “sometimes it is the patients perception of care that is the issue.” For example, if the patient does not see the housekeeper clean their room, they may complain about cleanliness. However, leaving a notecard that states the room has been cleaned or placing a sani-strip across the toilet has decreased comments about lack of cleanliness.
Many hospitals are using surveys by outside providers to help identify ways to improve customer service. Hospitals are also compared to others across the nation; results can be used to set benchmarks for areas of improvement. NRC+Picker and Press Ganey Associates are two companies that are experienced in conducting services for healthcare organizations. Those hospitals that are already conducting surveys will have a jump on future requirements from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Hospitals not yet collecting and submitting Hospital - Consumer Assessment of Health Plan Survey (HCAHPS) data on an ongoing basis will be required to submit March 2007 dry run data to the QIO Clinical Warehouse by July 13, 2007. The HCAHPS Patients’ Perspectives of Care Measures is a standardized set of 27 survey questions for patients that includes the following items:
- “18 substantive items that encompass critical aspects of the hospital experience (communication with doctors, communication with nurses, responsiveness of hospital staff, cleanliness and quietness of hospital environment, pain management, communication about medicines, and discharge information);
- 4 items to skip patients to appropriate items; three items to adjust for the mix of patients across hospitals; and
- 2 items to support congressionally-mandated reports.”
In addition to the surveys, many hospitals have found that long-lasting improvements in customer satisfaction require training programs. An important aspect in the training programs is communication. According to Ken Marshall, vice president of University Hospital and the Brown Cancer Center, “the perception of a patient’s quality of care is dependent on how well communication flows between the caregiver and the patient or family members.” Employee satisfaction and recognition is also an important component. If the healthcare staff is highly satisfied, that leads to satisfied customers.
February 27, 2007 Related topics: Legal & legislative, Quality, Safety, Errors