Elena Roman

Over the last decade in the healthcare industry, there has been a growing push to capture and measure our patients’ satisfaction with their care and hospital experience. However, even organizations with top quartile HCAHPS scores frequently tend to view patients as a homogenous population rather than several stratified demographic groups. As a result,

they end up changing their processes in response to the voice of the “typical patient” rather than understanding and adapting to the needs of a diverse patient pool. Consequently, a healthcare system may overlook several key opportunities;

• The varying roles of caregiver support by race and

age group

• The key drivers of patient experience for each

clinical pathway

• Variation in desired clinical outcomes by gender

In addition, this presentation will demonstrate the value of going beyond the measure and management of Patient Satisfaction. Rather than simply viewing satisfaction as a market differentiator, we can use it to directly drive clinical outcomes and financial growth as well;

• Improved medication adherence

• Higher screening rates

• Discharge instruction compliance

• Greater patient/caregiver involvement in care and

decision-making

• Patient satisfaction as a driver of employee

Engagement

In order to truly transform our patients’ experience, hospitals must view Satisfaction scores as a critical component of business intelligent rather than simply a necessary regulatory compliance and marketing requirement. The integration of the Voice of the Patient into other key business measures is the next evolution in healthcare transformation.