Becker's Hospital Review

34 POPULATION HEALTH 34 CEO/STRATEGY 15 healthcare leaders share daily habits to improve patient experience By Kelly Gooch I mproving patient experience remains a key priority at hospitals and health systems, as it affects every aspect of the organization. Becker's Hospital Review asked hospital presidents, COOs and other healthcare leaders to share action steps team members can take each day to improve the patient experience. Read their responses below, presented alphabetically. Editor's note: e following responses were lightly edited for length and clarity. Larry Coomes Chief executive of Queen of the Valley Medical Center (Napa, Calif.) Be kind to and supportive of their co-workers — happy caregivers make happy patients! Dave Fikse President of Mercy Health–Cincinnati I ask our team to always remember to use the AIDET model of com- munication to communicate with patients and family: • Acknowledge – greet the patient by name and make eye contact • Introduction – introduce yourself with your name, certification and experience • Duration – provide reasonable time expectations for tests, the doctor's arrival and next steps, if possible, and if not, provide details on when you will update the patient on progress • Explanation - explain what to expect next, be prepared to answer questions and make sure the patient knows how to reach you • THANK YOU - ank the patient and family for choosing our services, for their communication and for their support of the staff and each other AIDET helps ease anxiety, ensure understanding of the care plan and helps improve outcomes, but it always has to come from the heart! Valerie Geyer, MSN, RN Senior director of patient experience at Reading Hospital–Tower Health (West Reading, Pa.) Look, listen and feel! Listen to the patient and maintain eye contact when you are in conversation. Learn about the patient's expectation and goals. Connect on a personal level by asking them a nonhealth- care-related question, such as, "What do you enjoy doing when you're not in the hospital?" Explore their interests and actively listen. Acknowledge their feelings and respond with empathy. Patients oen just want to be treated with compassion. Adam Groshans President of Mercy Health–Springfield (Ohio) Demonstrate kindness and genuine compassion. We all move at such a frantic pace that the patient (and family) oen feel rushed into pro- cessing life-changing information. When we can compassionately connect and sometimes grieve with our patients, we can enhance their overall experience, even in the most difficult times. Carla Parker-Hollis COO of Jersey City (N.J.) Medical Center As a member of Jersey City Medical Center's executive team, I believe one of the key things we can do to boost the overall patient experi- ence is to round daily on patients. I oen find patient interaction to be one of the most rewarding aspects of my leadership role. e ability to connect, to hear their stories, to understand patient needs is com- pelling. Even when dealing with a patient complaint or an unhappy family member, leaders need to be engaged and available in real time. It is equally important for our caregiving team members to know they have the support of leadership. We are here for our patients, connecting with them is at the heart of what we do. Dermot O'Doherty Vice president of consumer experience at Centura Health (Centen- nial, Colo.) e journey from a prospective patient to a loyal and lifetime engaged one can be arduous. However, first impressions count, and one way to boost your overall experience with prospective patients is through your online, or digital, presence. Your website is your digital brand flagship and should accurately reflect who you are, what you do, and when and how you do it. Your website should easily and intuitively lead you to find the right care, get an estimate, schedule an appoint- ment and pay your bill. Your business citations and provider directory listings must be accurate — hours of operation, services you provide, phone and directions. More simply put, the one thing team members can do each day is ensure their digital presence contains accurate and precise content and data that is trustworthy, usable and actionable for patients and their loved ones. Diana Richardson COO of Tus Medical Center and Floating Hospital for Children (Boston) It is so important for everyone on the team to stop and listen to each individual patient. Ask, "What questions do you have?" instead of, "Do you have any questions?" Sometimes in healthcare, we are so fo- cused on the clinical care of our patients, we forget to ask what's most important to each person as an individual — it may be space for a family member to stay, providing extra explanations about medica- tions, making sure the discharge plan addresses how they can safely "It is so important for everyone on the team to stop and listen to each individual patient. Ask, 'What questions do you have?' instead of, 'Do you have any questions?'" - Diana Richardson, COO, Tufts Medical Center, Floating Hospital for Children

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