Lindee Abe, APRN
Patient satisfaction is a term that is generally viewed negatively by many healthcare providers. It is brought up frequently during unit meetings and is also emphasized when looking at provider performance. Many providers also associate the term patient satisfaction with being forced into making medical decisions based on unwarranted patient demands (such as narcotics). If we start to think about satisfaction as more of part of the experience, we can also change our thinking. This will also help to align our goals with our patient goals.
Before discussing ways to improve the patient experience, it is essential to examine why improving the patient experience is necessary. The first reason is simply that we care about patients. We want to make their healthcare experience one that makes them feel comfortable and not nervous or scared. Being in the hospital and having fear regarding an illness that they aren’t sure what it may be is difficult. Some patients will also use Google to research their symptoms. Likewise, they may think that they have a terminal diagnosis for a simple symptom like a headache. While it is easy for us to be irritated that “Dr. Google” defined their symptoms, it does’t take much time to speak with the patient and explain why their headache is likely related to dehydration and not a brain tumor.
Develop a Satisfying Relationship
Developing a relationship with the patient is essential for the best patient outcomes. If the patient feels valued and heard, they will also be more likely to comply with their treatment plan. They will also be more open to discuss barriers to following it. If patients comply with their treatment plan, they will have better outcomes.
Patients who have good patient experiences view their overall care as being better. The bottom line is that providers with higher patient satisfaction scores are less likely to be sued. A Massachusetts General Hospital study found that physicians in the middle third for patient satisfaction had a 26% higher rate of being sued. This was compared with physicians who ranked in the top third. I was taught in school that the best way to prevent a lawsuit is to be intelligent and nice. The Massachusetts General Hospital study shows that being nice makes a difference when it comes to being sued. Malcolm Gladwell also noted this in his book Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking. The reason behind lawsuits isn’t just poor medical care. Patients who feel that they were not listened to or not treated with kindness and empathy sue more.
Communicate Better!
The number one way to enhance the patient experience is through communication. Nothing is more frustrating for a patient than sitting in a quiet room. Imagine being scared, lonely, staring at the walls, and having no idea what is happening. The provider may have told them they would order an ultrasound. They may not have told them that the ultrasound technician would have to be called in to perform the test. Simply communicating the expected time frame can significantly enhance the patient experience. If the patient was just sitting in the room for an hour, expecting the ultrasound technician to walk in at any minute, that would take forever. If the patient knows that it will be an hour before they go to the test, they can relax or watch TV to pass the time.
Communication in the clinic setting is also helpful. If you work in a busy clinic, you know how frustrating it is to answer nonstop patient phone calls while getting work done. When reviewing the discharge instructions, let the patient know that the test being ordered will take three days to get. Also tell them how to look up their own results. This can save a lot of phone calls and interruptions to the staff.
Introducing yourself to the patient enhances the patient experience. It helps create a bond with the patient and allows them to ask what name the patient prefers to go by and how to pronounce their name if it is not a common name. If you think about general day-to-day interactions, you feel like you have more of a relationship with those people whose names you know.
Look Your Patient in the Eye
Sitting down changes the dynamic of the patient encounter. Sitting down shows the patient that you aren’t rushed and have the time to spend with them to hear about their symptoms. Many hospitals have found that sitting improves the patient experience so much that they are now involved in the Commit to Sit initiative.
Another tip I have heard throughout the years is to try to do one nonmedical task while in the room or find out one fact about the patient unrelated to their medical problem. This would also help to strengthen the relationship. The one nonmedical task could be getting them a blanket, a glass of water, or grabbing their phone. The one fact unrelated to their medical care could be as simple as how many kids they have, their pet’s name, or a hobby. This can be referenced later in the conversation and helps remember the patient as a person, not just “the appendicitis in room 3”.
Handoff
When patient handoff occurs, it is another opportunity to improve the patient experience. If you work a 12-hour shift, most people want to leave immediately. However, taking the time to go back into the room of the patient being handed off to the next provider can make a massive difference for the patient, provider, and oncoming provider. It allows the provider to review what has been done and the treatment plan, ensuring nothing was missed. The patient can ask questions regarding the results up to that point and plan of care, which can save the oncoming provider time having to review this information with the patient. Also, they won’t be surprised by a new provider walking in and reviewing the remaining results and doesn’t feel they were abandoned.
The patient experience is vital to healthcare providers. If you have ever been a patient, you know how uncertain everything can be and how helpless you can feel. We have the power to make the healthcare experience positive and treat patients the way we would like to be treated if we were the patient. In the end, happier patients generally mean that the providers treating them are also happier, making improving the patient experience beneficial for everyone.
References:
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (2020). Section 2: Why Improve Patient
Experience? https://www.ahrq.gov/cahps/quality-improvement/improvement-guide/2-whyimprove/index.html
Fleeter, T. (2023). Happy patients file fewer lawsuits: how to avoid a medical liability lawsuit.
AAOS Now.
https://www.aaos.org/aaosnow/2023/jul/managing/managing04/#:~:text=A%20study%20from%
20Massachusetts%20General,with%20physicians%20who%20ranked%20higher.
Gladwell M: Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking. New York, N.Y.: Back Bay
Books; 2005.
Lidgett, C. (2016). Improving the patient experience through a commit to sit service
excellence initiative. Patient Experience Journal,3 (2), 62-76.
Pruthi, S., Davis, D., Hucke, D., Ripple, F., Tatzel, B., Dilling J., Santrach, P., Bolton, J.,
Noseworthy, J. (2015). Patient Experience Journal, 2 (2), 168-173.
