Boost HCAHPS Scores with Simple Solutions
Patients crave communication with providers
Chelsea Youngquist
Director of Marketing
Now more than ever, patients expect to be more informed about and involved in the management of their care. Highly engaged patients have better healthcare experiences, are less likely to change providers and are more likely to refer providers to friends and family and on social media. However, patient engagement remains low, with only 9 percent of providers in a Massachusetts Medical Society survey reporting high rates of engagement among their patients.
Healthcare providers who successfully target improving patient engagement will see significant impact in the quality of patient care, outcomes, informed decision making, patient satisfaction scores and on financial performance
https://www.duethealth.com/patient-engagement-stats-that-keep-hospital-ceos-up-at-night/
Consider this: more than 70 percent of physicians say that patient engagement is a top priority at their organizations. Yet, on average, healthcare leaders and clinicians believe that just 34 percent of their patients are highly engaged.
After employing multimedia programs meant to help patients understand complex health information and/or information regarding self-care, upcoming procedures, etc., 86 percent of 29 participating hospitals improved doctor-to-patient communication, and 69 percent improved their overall rating by 4 percent or more.
Improving these HCAHPS scores means improving patient satisfaction. The survey and its results are important for several reasons:
- The survey is the voice of the patient — it gives providers a view into the patient’s perception of the care they received.
- The survey results are publicly reported online, so your reputation as a provider can be affected.
- The government reimburses based on results — impacting your financial strength.
Categories in the survey include:
- Doctor and nurse communication
- Hospital environment
- Medication communication
- Discharge information
In a market increasingly crowded with vendors, products and solutions, and given providers’ increasingly limited time and budgets, how do you effectively partner with patients to increase their levels of engagement? Not all solutions that increase engagement are complicated or difficult to implement. Using white boards for patient and family communication, providing sleep kits and clear wayfinding all can help to create a positive patient experience.
