Over the past years, patient satisfaction surveys have gained increasing attention as meaningful and essential sources of information for identifying gaps and developing an effective action plan for quality improvement in healthcare organizations. As a member of health care providers, how we can improve patients satisfaction?
Dear Dr. Dr. Nader Aghakhani, We ca improve patients satisfaction through the following:
Frequent patient visitation and education by the duty nurse: Patients feel better when they know someone will be in to touch/check on them. Doing these, will in turn increases patient’s satisfaction and reduces call bell usage
Improved medical consumable supplies, it’s frustrating for patients and staff when nurses have to stop what they are doing to track down medical consumables that the patient need.
Improved work environments for nurse
Reduced ratios of patients to nurses
Regular discussion and training about patient interactions ensures nurses know what is expected and the rest
Thanks
Hi,
It is critical that nurses and other health care providers understand what patients expect from their care. In addition, patient satisfaction is improved when nurses tailor their interactions to the unique needs of the patient.
Thanks
Hi,
To improve patient satisfaction is about being a good communicator. I think one of the most important thing is being a good listener because patients want to be listened seriously. From that point we can identify and assess their problems and provide a suitable service.
Thanks.
Create programs that recognize nurses and what they do. Provide rewards for nurses who go an extra mile. It does not have to be financial rewards(would not hurt if it is), it could be mere recognition by peers and managers.
Encourage nurses to work in small teams, so you have for example, falls team, pain team, CAUTI team, etc. Each team has a daily responsibility to ensure that these issues are addressed on the unit/ward.
Address nurses on the same unit as a team. So if one nurse fails, the team fails. This encourages nurses to look out for their team members. For example, attend to a patient in pain or answer a call light even when the patient is not theirs.
Provide continuous education for the healthcare team (nurses, nurse assistants, phlebotomists, etc).
Include patients and their families as partners in the patient's plan of care
Thanks
The need to improve quality in healthcare delivery is increasing. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), hospitals, and insurance providers alike are striving to better define and measure quality of health care. A major component of quality of health care is patient satisfaction. Furthermore, patient satisfaction is critical to how well patients do; research has identified a clear link between patient outcomes and patient satisfaction scores.
Patient satisfaction is a key determinant of quality of care and an important component of pay-for-performance metrics. Under the CMS Hospital Inpatient Value-Based Purchasing (HIVBP) program, Medicare reimbursements are linked to patient satisfaction and surveys completed by patients. Beginning this year (2013), CMS will make value-based incentive payments to acute care hospitals based, in part, on the results of patient satisfaction surveys completed by patients discharged on or after October 1, 2012.
Read these articles
Dear colleagues,
Patient satisfaction is basically upon culture of the patients.
Do you agree?
Dear Dr. Nader, I don't agree with your submission above, that patient satisfaction is basically upon the culture of the patients. Nursing care of patients encompasses so many things. For example, physical, psychological, spiritual care and so on.
Ok.
I agree with you.
But I think It may that you do something for both patients, but one of them say thank you to you and the other one be angry! I think it depends on their culture!
I think there is a need for us to separate attitude from culture. The example you gave about one patient appreciating the nurse and the other patient did not is a thing of attitude not culture. So patients feels you are doing the work you are being paid for. Why most they appreciate you. What do you think sir.
Dear Đoko,
If the persons are prevented, most of them will not be patient!
A patient due to his sickness remains disturb & according to the seriousness of illness he very often remains morbid .For the improvement of patient certain healthy atmosphere to be created for the members of family & also even from medical professional doctors who show help him under suggestive hints & psy analysis of his mind which may offering strength & courage to face the situation of illness.
What ever the religion of the patients a holy ,spiritual wordings offering the strength & will power to control his mind under holy end so that he may also receive the tranquility of mind .
Medicine works but along with the treatment a suitable atmosphere remains a healthy gift for the patients
Dear Dr. Parikh,
When spiritual wordings offering the strength & will power to control his mind under holy end so that he may also receive the tranquility of mind that the patient believe to it. In my opinion spiritual wording has no use and meaning by itself.