IMPROVING PATIENT SATISFACTION

Improving patient satisfaction is one of the most discussed topics in boardrooms of

hospitals across the country. One satisfied patient leaving the hospital.how
many more patients can come to the hospital expecting to be treated to
satisfaction? This is a valid research question considering that the word of mouth is
one of the most powerful marketing tool any organization can have.
Patient satisfaction is one of the major determinants of quality of healthcare service.
What is patient satisfaction? Patient satisfaction is multidimensional; the satisfaction
quotient also varies from one individual to another..all in all a very challenging
outcome to define. Patient expectations of care and attitudes greatly contribute to
satisfaction; other psychosocial factors, including pain and depression, are also
known to contribute to patient satisfaction scores. Historically, physicians,
especially surgeons, have focused on surgical technique and objective outcomes as
measures of patient satisfaction, this still is the most important factor contributing
to patient satisfaction. The modern day patient has now included many more
elements to be fulfilled before he or she is satisfied, these range from the skills and
attitude of all staffs, cleanliness and hygiene, safety and comfort, pleasing
aesthetics and quality time with treating doctors. The task for hospitals is to find
ways to ensure patient satisfaction from the time the hospital is conceived and
thereafter through the daily course of treating and caring for them. The following
are a few thoughts that can be considered:
Patient centred design: In the years gone by not much consideration was given to
the complexity of designing a hospital and the need of specialised teams at various
stages, hospitals were designed like any other building involving the architect and
the owner. The plan and layout of the hospital can contribute to a large extent to
the efficiency and satisfaction of the staff which they then bring out towards the
patients. The traditional design of hospitals can create a frustrating and somewhat
frightening environment in which to receive care, leading to low levels of patient
satisfaction and potentially declining market share. A growing body of evidence
suggests that patient-centered design can improve patient satisfaction, employee
retention, quality and safety. Easy-to-navigate hospital entry; Easy, pleasant
parking; Warm, inviting lobby; Clear signages directing the patient traffic in
languages commonly understood by the community; Comforting transition to
patient units through aesthetically pleasing corridors in contrast to the sterile
environment in traditional facilities; Decentralized nursing stations; mostly private
patient rooms; proper storage facilities in inpatient areas to ensure big equipments
normally stored in hallways are tucked away from patient view; adequate day
lighting and artificial lighting that have the ability to lift a persons spirits; use of

noise reducing materials in patient rooms; the list can go on and many times the
resources available may restrict the way the hospital is designed and built,
whatever the limitations ensuring patient satisfaction from conceptualization is a
sure elixir to a successful hospital
Establish standard operating procedures and protocols: A hospital being the most
complex of organisations cannot be efficiently managed without clearly
documenting standard operating procedures and protocols and ensuring induction
and training of all staff. Establishing and documenting standard operating
procedures for each department and functional area will ensure consistency of
service delivery even with a new staff who may have just been inducted, received
training but has to still be able to remember the standard procedure, policy or
protocol for particular activity. Consistency and efficiency in service will contribute
to
a
higher
level
of
patient
satisfaction.

Ensure staff satisfaction: The satisfaction levels among a hospital's staff are closely
linked to the quality of healthcare it provides. Satisfaction levels among non-clinical
staff have been found to be as closely tied to a hospital's performance as those of
clinical staff. A stronger correlation exists among nursing staff. Better organisations
attract better staffs, who work harder. It's a cycle of improvement or a cycle of
degeneration for most hospitals. Regular surveys asking questions such as 'would
you recommend this hospital to friends and family?' might be able to prevent
attrition and deterioration of hospital standards. Healthcare workers pour heart and
soul into their work, and it is important to avoid emotional burnout by re-filling the
coffers of goodwill, offering lots of positive feedback and creating an environment
that is filled with support and positive feedback. This keeps smiles on the faces of
happy, rewarded employees, and at the end of the day, a simple smile and positive
outlook can go a long way toward patient satisfaction. In addition provision of
proper facilities for staff to change, to have food and to relax during a night duty will
help. The design of the hospital building should consider staff efficiency into it, for
example location of the nursing station should be such as to avoid making the
nurses travel many kilometers a day in the course of patient care leading to
burnout. Provision of nursing sub-stations when the inpatient wing spans across a
huge floor-plate will also help. Imbibing a feeling of belonging, ownership and pride
about the hospital can go a long way in ensuring staff satisfaction which then
trickles down to increase patient satisfaction.

Treat the patient as customer: With the rising tide of consumerism patients are
becoming more demanding of hospitals; the patient does not want to be patient any
longer. Hospitals and doctors need to recognize this. The number one demand of
patients is respect, unlike in the past, if patients do not get this sense of respect
and the sense that you're doing things around their needs rather than your needs,
he or she will go somewhere else. One way hospitals can demonstrate respect for
patients is to be responsive to their needs. For example, hospitals should ensure all
physicians, nurses and staffs are easily accessible for appointments and are able to
communicate with patients at their level using email and text messaging if
necessary. We as providers need to consider the patient as our customer or another
way of saying it,is the one who's paying the bill.
Consider the patient as a partner: One of the triple aims of healthcare reform is
improving population health, which requires the engagement of patients in making
healthy decisions. Patients want to be partners with their healthcare providers.
Hospitals can create a partnership between their providers and patients by offering
multidisciplinary team-based care that takes patients' individual needs into account
when developing treatment plans. For example, for a single working mother who
developed breast cancer and needs chemotherapy, the treatment team can offer
appointments late in the afternoon Fridays or on the weekend so the patient does
not have to miss work. Making the patient a partner requires us to understand what
are the patients needs, frustrations and anxieties are, and discussing with them on
how you're going to deal with it together. In keeping the patient as a partner we
automatically end up communicating more with them, keeping them more informed
of what is happening with them while they are in the hospital therefore reducing the
anxiety that sets in the moment a patient steps into a hospital.
Be clear about wait times: Waiting is the most irritating and frustrating part about
visiting a hospital, the hospital that is able to reduce this and most of all is able to
provide close to accurate information on it would have already achieved fifty
percent of patient satisfaction. Waiting times are so common in the hospitals,
patients wait for registration, wait for consultation, wait for diagnostic test, wait for
reports, wait for discharge and so on. The ideal suggestion would be to aim at
completely zero waiting times for the patient which is practically impossible to
achieve. A majority of patients and attendants do understand that availing of
services in a hospital will involve a bit of waiting, they get frustrated, angry and
dissatisfied only when they are fooled about the extent of waiting they need to
endure. Waiting can be especially very frustrating for patients who often cannot eat
before certain procedures. Giving a more accurate time, plus or minus say 20 or 30
minutes, will greatly help patients and their families in knowing what to expect (it
doesnt have to be to the nearest minute). Better co-ordination, feedback to the
patients nurse and direct communication with the patient should be a standard
protocol.