5 Ways to Get More Value from Patient Surveys

Wondering how to get the most value out of your patient surveys?  Here’s what we’ve learned working with more than 1,000 post-acute providers nationwide:

1) Use clinicians to conduct patient surveys

Gathering satisfaction feedback from a script is great, but patients will invariably raise clinical questions and concerns during their recovery and will want your help. Using clinicians such as RNs to conduct these conversations is a great way both to show patients you’re here to help them, and also to identify or address developing problems that may lead to penalizing hospital readmissions. If you have a reliable way to record, document, and analyze these conversations, then phone calls work much better than paper or electronic surveys by allowing patients to more freely express their thoughts with higher response rates.

2) Patient experience continues after discharge

Post-discharge surveys are not just a way to gather feedback, they are an opportunity to demonstrate that the patient’s feedback truly matters to you. Tell patients when you have resolved or are working to resolve any concerns they’ve raised, capitalize on positive feedback by helping patients post an online review, and foster patient loyalty by letting them know you’re still thinking about them--even after care has ended. Patients feel abandoned when care ends abruptly at the moment of discharge.

3) Review and take action immediately

Data is valuable, but only if it leads to timely reactions and changes. If you wait to review patient surveys until the end of the month or year, you’ve missed the opportunity to take advantage of patient feedback in meaningful ways at the moment that matters. If instead, you make it part of a quick daily workflow to review and react to feedback, you will find countless opportunities… from preventing a hospital readmission, to capturing a positive online review, to turning a dissatisfied patient into a happy one, to bringing a patient in-need back onto your service.

4) Record and analyze historical trends carefully

Responding to individual patient needs is only half the battle.  It is critical to understand and analyze important trends, and how key performance indicators are changing over time. Record and document every survey in a way that allows you to carefully analyze department performance, to understand the drivers of both satisfaction and outcomes, and to demonstrate the good work you’re doing to network partners like hospitals and payers.

5) Reward outstanding team members

Employee retention is a huge challenge in maintaining a market-leading post-acute care operation. One of the most valuable insights you can obtain is unbiased patient feedback about the performance of individual members of your team. Dealing with repeated negative feedback is obviously important, but don’t forget to reward outstanding team members who receive praise from patients… gift cards, small bonuses or other simple gestures of gratitude are great ways to make sure you are doing everything you can to keep great members of your team.

Are you struggling with any of these?  We can help!  Visit www.cortexhc.com to learn more, or schedule a demo using the form below.