Further, make improving patient satisfaction a core goal for your group. Some strategies that may work include:
- Have a script for each patient encounter (“Hi, I’m Dr. Smith, I take care of Dr. Jones’ patients in the hospital. The way we communicate about your care is … The advantages to our partnership are …”);
- Hand out a brochure with your group’s hospitalists’ pictures, answers to frequently asked questions, and how to contact the hospitalist; and
- Sit down and shut up (i.e., patients will perceive you are taking time with them and listening if you are seated and let them speak without interruption).
Hospitals have been doing patient surveys for some time now. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and other payers are placing more emphasis on this quality measure. Now that the results easily are available to the public, major newspapers and broadcast media are calling attention to patient perspectives on their hospital care.
Once hospitalist groups understand the data, there is an opportunity to partner with their hospitals to better understand how our patients see their hospital care and allow for hospitalists to have an appropriate role in working with the other health professionals to improve patients’ experience with their care. TH
Dr. Wellikson is the CEO of SHM.
Note to readers: I would like to acknowledge SHM co-founder Win Whitcomb, MD, and SHM Senior Vice President Joe Miller for their assistance with this column.