When the Sisters of Providence Health System discovered last year that only 20 percent of its hospitals conducting patient satisfaction surveys actually use the results to provide feedback to physicians and administrators, marketers decided it was time to make a change.
Marketers for the Portland, Ore.-based Sisters of Providence, which is composed of five hospitals, a health plan and several primary care clinics in the state, found that most of their affiliated hospitals were conducting surveys and then putting them on the shelf to collect dust. Yet studies show patient surveys provide valuable information that can be used to improve communications and efficiency in every hospital department.
"The surveys provided us with the most valuable information about areas where we need to improve," said Dennis Denfeld, senior research analyst for the health system's Center for Outcomes Research. "We now use them in almost every department to improve patient satisfaction and outcomes."
After discovering that patient complaints were not landing in the right hands, managers began issuing regular reports to every department at every system hospital.
"We found that we needed to spread out the information, once people knew what the problems were, they were better able to make improvements to fix it," he said.
Sisters of Providence managers also took steps to ensure that comments about specific departments or employees at hospital were routed to them. The hospitals now use the survey results as a benchmark for improvement.
Survey Leads to Change
Once department heads had a chance to regularly review survey results, the hospitals made several changes:
- Because of patients' concern about hygiene, phlebotomists wash their hands in clear view of patients before drawing blood.
- Some nurses call patients at home two days after discharge to check on problems or concerns with medication or pain management.
- Housekeeping staff began introducing themselves to patients before cleaning a room and leaving calling cards to show a room has been cleaned.
- To continue the trend, positive comments are published in the employee newsletter to recognize service by employees.
Marketers also created two new satisfaction surveys, one for inpatients and one for maternity patients. Both include questions about satisfaction with every hospital department plus five questions requiring written comments.
Sisters of Providence plans to update its patient surveys in 1997. Denfeld says the new surveys will include questions addressing every aspect of patient involvement with the system - from admissions to home care together follow-up services.
"We want to be able to give the best possible care to our patients and the only way we are going to be able to effectively do that is by asking them what they need and then giving it to them," he said.
One of the biggest problems with implementing a satisfaction survey is trying to get people to fill it out in the first place. Here are some strategies created by Jennifer Keller, president of Keller & Associates, a San Diego healthcare consulting firm:
- Aim for a 50 percent response rate;
- Personalize the survey by attaching a letter;
- Try phone interviews;
- Use scantron sheet and include an area for written comments;
- Keep the survey completion time under 10 minutes; and
- Include a name and telephone number for respondents to call.
(Sisters of Providence, 503/203-7153)