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Increase patient satisfaction, improve quality of care

Staff Development Weekly: Insight on Evidence-Based Practice in Education, March 12, 2004

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Patient satisfaction is a direct indicator of the quality of a facility's care. As a result, facilities nationwide are becoming increasingly committed to improving customer service. At an inpatient medical center in Ohio, administration and staff decided it was time to step up their service after patient satisfaction survey results from Press, Ganey Associates, Inc. indicated the need for hospital-wide improvements. A multidisciplinary action team was formed, called the Patient Satisfaction Steering Committee (PSSC), which included administration, department directors and staff. After PSSC established the goals of their mission, they implemented several programs. Two initiatives included:

Employee education. Customer service training was delivered during mandatory inservice sessions. The inservice was videotaped to allow off-shift staff to participate and was also incorporated into employee orientation. The critical areas on which the training focused were
* the importance of customer service
* customer identification
* physical appearance of the staff and the facility
* a zero-tolerance for poor service
The trainers conveyed their message through scripting and role-playing. Once they introduced the hospital's customer service standards, all staff were encouraged to sign a pledge board indicating their commitment to patient satisfaction. 100% of staff signed the board, which was later displayed in the center's front hallway.

Employee recognition. The PSSC team thought it was vital to recognize and thank employees who characterized exemplary customer service. The committee developed the STAR program, which stands for Service, Teamwork, Attitude and Respect, for staff committed to teamwork and outstanding individual performance. Nominated staff were showcased at staff meetings, in the employee newsletter, and monthly winners were pictured on the employee bulletin board.

The hospital's efforts paid off when it won one of Press, Ganey's 2003 Compass Awards. These recipients are healthcare facilities whose satisfaction scores have shown the greatest improvement over the span of two years. The facility won in the category for inpatient centers with less than 100 beds.  

Editor's note: The excerpt above was adapted from Press, Ganey Associates, Inc., a company devoted to healthcare satisfaction measurement and improvement. Click here http://www.pressganey.com/client_recognition/compass_awards/award_winners_2003/inpatient/allen.php for many more creative ideas that hospitals implemented to improve patient satisfaction and the quality of their care.

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