A Rural Hospital's Push to Move Patient Satisfaction From Better to Best in the Emergency Department

The patient experience as measured by patient satisfaction scores is an organizational goal. In the emergency department, staff was challenged to move patient satisfaction scores from the 70th to the 90th percentile rank.

To complete this challenge, the ED staff reviewed patient satisfaction data reported by Healthstream. Based on this feedback, the staff identified several behaviors they felt should be incorporated into daily routines, including: rounding, informing patients of delays and improving discharge instructions by reconciling medications with patients and families. Staff decided that improving the door-to-discharge times for patient stays would be a patient satisfier as well. The ED staff set into motion the performance expectations related to these behaviors that should be provided for each patient encounter. For the organization's fiscal year, the ED has been able to maintain their satisfaction scores above the 90th percentile rank, with nearly half the scores between the 95th and 99th percentile rank.

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This case study is part of the Illinois Hospital Association's annual quality awards. Each year, IHA recognizes and celebrates the achievements of Illinois hospitals in continually improving and transforming health care in the state. These hospitals are improving health by striving to achieve the Triple Aim--improving the patient experience of care (including quality and satisfaction); improving the health of populations; and reducing the per capita cost of health care.

Award recipients achieve measurable and meaningful progress in providing care that is:

• Safe
• Timely
• Effective
• Efficient
• Equitable
• Patient-centered

(The Institute of Medicine's six aims for improvement.)