Becker's Clinical Quality & Infection Control

27 PATIENT EXPERIENCE Hospital groups propose HCAHPS modernization: 5 things to know By Mackenzie Bean T he HCAHPS survey must be mod- ernized to better reflect changes in care delivery, healthcare technology and patient expectations, according to a report released July 25 by five major hospital groups. e report was authored by leaders from the following groups: • Federation of American Hospitals • American Hospital Association • America's Essential Hospitals • Association of American Medical Colleges • Catholic Health Association of the United States To compile the report, leaders interviewed hospital and health system patient experi- ence leaders regarding their thoughts on the HCAHPS survey's effectiveness. Five things to know: 1. Patient experience leaders said response rates have been falling annually for HCAHPS surveys. e report found the national re- sponse rate fell from 33 percent in 2008 to 26 percent in 2017. 2. Of the 27 core questions featured in the HCAHPS survey, patient experience leaders identified eight as important to keep. Leaders also shared five other topics that should be added to the survey, such as efficiency and clinical teamwork. 3. Most patient experience leaders said the survey should be adjusted to be more digestible for people with lower health literacy levels. 4. Leaders also said more research is needed to assess how social determinants of health may unfairly affect hospitals' HCAHPS scores. 5. e report outlines numerous recommen- dations to modernize the HCAHPS survey, including shortening the survey and offering patients a way to complete it online. n Viewpoint: Patient narratives should be part of medical education By Anne-Marie Kommers P atient voices should play an integral role in healthcare professionals' education, according to an op-ed in the BMJ written by researchers and a nonprofit leader. The authors wrote patient narratives have not yet been fully integrated into medical education, which may be partly due to healthcare professionals' resistance to change. Yet patient narratives can provide unique insights that traditional medical educators cannot. The authors identified three ways to better integrate patient narratives into education: 1. Embrace the subjective nature of narratives as a strength, not a weakness. Subjective stories can "inject reality, humor, passion and life" into what can sometimes be an "alienating environment" for patients and providers. 2. Make it easier for patients to share narratives and for educators to access them. Websites can provide open forums for patients to share their stories, and providers can simply ask patients about their experiences during appointments. 3. Remember that narratives are their own form of evidence, even if they are not driven by data. They are "a constructed version of reality, a permanent reminder of an encounter that left a lasting impression," the authors wrote. The op-ed was contributed by Rebecca Baines, a research associate and PhD candidate at the University of Plymouth in Britain; Dr. Charlotte Den- niston, a lecturer in work integrated learning at Melbourne Medical School in Australia; and James Munro, CEO of Care Opinion CIC, a nonprofit that supports online dialogue between providers and patients. n What a home appliance retailer can teach hospitals about patient satisfaction By Mackenzie Bean A group of Chicagoland hospital leaders took an unlikely field trip to learn about patient satisfaction: They toured a home appliance retailer, reported Chicago Tribune. Hospital leaders visited an Abt Electronics store in Glenview, Ill., June 18 as part of Medline Industries' new Patient Experience and Innovation Institute. Leaders learned about the huge effort Abt makes to keep consumers happy. The store features a candy store, giant bubble-maker for children and an in-house Apple store, not to mention numerous customization options for its products — all aimed at providing the ultimate customer experience. More healthcare organizations are recognizing the importance of patient satisfaction, especially in competitive markets like Chicago where healthcare consumers have the option to seek care at many different health systems. However, their efforts often lag behind those of major retailers like Abt. "It's not just the care, it's everything that goes into that care and making the patient feel loved," Lisa Petrilli, Medline's senior director of strategic marketing told Chicago Tribune. "If you can do that with appliances, you can absolutely do that with healthcare." n

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