Patient Satisfaction

Definition/Etiology:

• A commonly used indicator to measure healthcare quality
• Satisfaction is based on whether the patient’s expectations about their healthcare experience were met.

Pathophysiology:

• Patient satisfaction is an attitude!
• Satisfaction is met through decreasing ER throughput times and decreasing overall wait times
• Timely results and communication where there are delays.

Clinical Presentation:

Institute of Medicine aims for quality healthcare and patient safety include timely, efficient, and patient centered – directly correlate with patient satisfaction!

Collaborative Management:

• Recognize that patients expect a professional relationship that shows compassion and caring from those providing their healthcare.
• Try to see it from the patient’s perspective
• Communication is key in patient experience and satisfaction
  • Clean, pleasant environment
  • Manage patient flow
• Patient satisfaction in ER competencies/education
• Research Throughput

Evaluation | Patient Monitoring | Education:

Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) – a patient satisfaction survey
Patients rate experience based on:

• Care outcomes (nursing knowledge and advocacy can have a direct impact on this!)
• Facility services
• Customer service (call bells in a timely manner)
• Overall facility appearance (no we can’t fix the walls or remodel the ER, but we can make sure the urinal from the previous patient is off of the bed before placing another patient in that room)
• Attitude/knowledge of the staff (you may be having a bad day, but we are seeing the patients and families on some of their worst days)
• Availability of supplies (work with management to advocate for what we need)
• Pain management (we assess this!)

Linchpins: (Key Points)

• Patient satisfaction leads to more open communication and better outcomes
• We all play a part in patient satisfaction!
• Satisfaction plays a role in value-based reimbursement