Patient satisfaction: It’s more about needs than wants.
In light of the United States Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) launching of their Hospital Compare data base this week it seems only fitting that a few words of prose be devoted to the subject of healthcare transparency and patient satisfaction.
Healthcare organizations have been developing transparency exhibits for both public and organizational member viewing for some time now. Popular content that seems to be somewhat universal from many of these initiatives include infection rates from invasive catheters, numbers of patient falls, hand washing compliance percentages, as well as other indicators of quality.
The goal that many top level healthcare executives have is two fold. First the public will be able to see hard evidence regarding key quality of care indicators from healthcare facilities, which will enable them to make better informed decisions when making healthcare choices. Secondly these transparency displays are designed to promote a facility based internal impetus or competition perhaps between providers to perform better, achieve better outcomes through resource allocation, medical management decisions, and procedural compliance.
Transparency data is clearly organizationally complied, sifted, probably cleaned up a bit in some cases, or I dare say even omitted because it skews the overall result to the negative too much. I an not suggesting that healthcare facilities are manipulating their data to promote a more appealing image so much as I am saying that the data is of a subjective nature. Furthermore I suspect that organizations that are willing to show the good with the, well not so good are equally represented.
Complimenting the hospital transparency wave that has swept many of the nation’s healthcare facilities is a subjective measure from the other side of the coin. Patient satisfaction, the surveys are everywhere we go these days. Just about every industry uses some form of survey to obtain feedback from customers about their service and quality. How are we doing? We get surveys from snail mail, e-mail, telemarketers, with our check from restaurants, from cable and TV companies who come to our homes for service calls, car dealerships, the list is long. We even get survey questionnaires when we are driving our cars. How many of you have seen the bumper sticker – “How’s my driving?”
Companies are obsessed with obtaining customer feedback. Some might say that industry leaders have fragile egos, or are insecure about their products or services that they deliver. Is it that industry leaders need to be reassured that they are doing a good job? Clearly some customer feedback is worthwhile. Knowing what customers want within the global economy will assist industries develop new product lines, shape strategic planning, and provide some rudder adjustment for an organization.
Over the course of time we have seen many well know companies make poor decisions regarding customer desires that have costs them dearly. When Coke ® developed the “New Coke” it tasted horribly. To save face the leaders of Coke ® changed the name of their product and developed two kinds of beverage – Coke Classic ® and the infamous Coke II® which was a flop. Clearly some customer taste testing surveys would have prevented this disaster.
We live in a world of immediate gratification thanks to the wonders of technology. The rat race as it is called has become endemic to the point that few if any of us want to wait. Society in general has become irritable, unappreciative, and filled with a sense of entitlement. It is truly disappointing to see how the world has changed even in the last twenty years.
However, when it comes to healthcare the tables turn somewhat. The goal of healthcare is to obtain an optimal level of functioning for each and every patient. It’s not about always doing it faster, it is about doing “it” safely and doing “it” correctly. Patient satisfaction surveys in healthcare in my opinion have limited value due to the poor medical literacy rates that most people have. Healthcare delivery systems [hospitals, clinics, primary care provider offices, etc.] are not a kin to restaurants or retail shops. We don’t accept reservations, you don’t get to pick narcotics off the menu – which is what many would like to do, and you can’t just come in and say I want a CT scan.
Unfortunately it is not always about what the patient wants. More to the point it is what the patient needs. Sometimes what people need in order to restore their level of functioning hurts, taste bad, is uncomfortable, inconvenient, difficult to do, and embarrassing. Quite often it is difficult for patients to fully comprehend the “things” we do in healthcare to help you.
If patients want better healthcare experiences and healthcare leaders want better feed back from patients it is incumbent upon patients to take an active role in their own health. Patients with chronic medical conditions should be knowledgeable about their own health; they should adopt healthy habits and mitigate unhealthy or high risk habits. Healthcare leaders should ensure adequate resources and staff are available to provide quality care services for patients. Healthcare providers and patients should have a symbiotic relationship where patients are cared for, allowed to ask questions, informed about healthcare choices, and respected as people. Patients must become active in their own healthcare. Patients must ensure compliance with medical therapies if they are to maintain an optimal level of health. If you have asthma and you smoke you should not expect a lot of empathy from healthcare providers. Patients must ask questions to gain insight about their own health, make efforts to improve their health and also treat their healthcare providers with respect. Healthcare is a two way street. Providers will give you the books, answer questions, show you examples and offer extra help after class if need be, but we won’t do your homework.
About the Author
Mike Pringle is the author of Healthcare Today where he offers commentary and insight regarding today’s healthcare issues. Additionally he provides regular commentary for Red Scrubs and editorial content for Future Healthcare. He has over 20 years of nursing experience working both domestically and internationally. Mike has a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing and a Masters Degree in Public Administration with a Healthcare emphasis. He specializes in both Emergency and Critical Care Nursing. He currently works at Falmouth Hospital as a Shift Manager for the emergency department.
