Press Ganey Patient Experience survey:
First quarter results show importance of continual improvement
At the end of April, the Press Ganey survey company released Marshfield Clinic's first quarter patient experience survey results. Complete results for Medical Practice, Urgent Care, Ambulatory Surgery and Dental Centers can be accessed on the Clinic's Patient Experience intranet site.
More than 25,000 patients completed surveys which gives Marshfield Clinic a wealth of information on how patients perceive us and how we compare to other health care organizations. Results can be seen at the system, site and specialty level.
The Press Ganey quarterly reports for each of the four Clinic areas list key areas for celebration, and improvement, as well as a "priority index that points us to areas of focus that will have the biggest impact on the patient's overall experience," said Colleen Shupe, Patient Experience assistant director, Institute for Quality, Innovation and Patient Safety.
As an example, she cited the Clinic's overall Medical Practice score of 91.5, ranking it in the 75th percentile nationally among the 755 medical practice groups that participate in Press Ganey surveys. "That means, we scored better than 75 percent of those other medical practices in the United States," Shupe said.
A compilation of all survey results systemwide showed reason to celebrate - with staff friendliness and courtesy earning high marks. It also pointed to areas of opportunity to improve, most notably with communicating information about delays, privacy and comfort issues.
"Using this type of comprehensive survey gives us an opportunity to benchmark our scores with other health care organizations throughout the country to better respond to areas needing improvement and to identify areas of excellent service," said Brandon Parkhurst, M.D., Patient Experience assistant medical director. "The new survey also provides much more specific analysis to help us as we strive to improve our patient experience."
Laura Nelson, M.D., Clinic chief medical officer; and Jim Coleman, Clinic chief operating officer, challenge department chairs and managers to know their reports and understand the data. Monthly reports can be accessed for monitoring ongoing progress, while certain "actionable items" needing attention can be reviewed after each quarterly report is issued. The next group of survey results will be released on July 22.
Informing patients of delays is an area needing improvement throughout the organization. Processes will be developed to address this issue at a system level. In addition to address system-level issues, managers are encouraged to begin working on one of the top five areas needing improvement in their respective areas. Taking this step-by-step approach ensures that the process is focused and flows smoothly.
The intent is to take patients from being satisfied to being very satisfied and loyal. The underlying theme in enhancing the patient experience is simple, Shupe said. "If we're not thinking of our patients' needs, then we are not going to be doing anything well."
