Becker's Hospital Review

51 CMO / CARE DELIVERY Nurse workflow, Gen Z enter the patient experience spotlight By Mariah Taylor P atient experience measures are showing signs of rebounding aer falling dramatically during the pandemic, and a few elements are entering the spotlight aer having notable effects on hospital scores. Leapfrog's spring safety grade update, released May 1, shows the first signs of improvement in these measures since COVID-19, though figures are still down from prepandemic levels, the organization said. e composite measures for staff responsiveness and communication about medicines fell the most in Leapfrog's spring 2022 update, with average HCAHPS scores in those categories decreasing by 2.21 and 2.43 points, respectively. e latest data shows these measures ticked up by 0.16 and 0.23 points, respectively, at hospitals between fall 2023 and spring 2024. An increased focus on nurse satisfaction and workflow could be contributing to the increase in scores. A recent study found hospitals can improve HCAHPS scores by investing in the nursing work environment, nurse education and staff levels. e study, published in Medical Care, analyzed HCAHPS scores for 540 hospitals in California, Florida, New Jersey and Pennsylvania in 2016. Researchers found the most strongly related factor to ratings was the work environment. For each standard- deviation increase in work environment score, hospitals were 2.42 times more likely to be in a higher patient experience performance category. Within the work environment category, staff development and continuing education, as well as nurse participation in hospital affairs, appeared to have the greatest impact on scores. e frequency of nurse rounding can also significantly affect hospitals' patient experience performance, with hourly nurse rounding linked to a 19.4-point increase in hospitals' "likelihood to recommend score" as measured by HCAHPS. Nearly 82% of patients were likely to recommend their hospital when nurses rounded every hour. is figure fell to 73.2% when nurses rounded every two hours and just 41.8% when nurses rounded only a couple of times. Patient experience is also shiing as the younger generations enter adulthood and begin taking over healthcare decisions for children and aging parents. Generation Z and millennial patients have far less brand loyalty and significantly higher expectations for fast, convenient care compared to previous generations, Press Ganey found in a June 26 report. More Gen Z patients are making their own healthcare decisions as they enter adulthood. Meanwhile, millennial patients are managing healthcare not only for themselves but also for their children and aging parents. Scores also vary by specialty. Press Ganey found the specialties with the highest patient experience scores in 2023 were cardiac surgery (79.3%), obstetrics (76.7%), obstetrics/gynecology (75.9%), neurosurgery (75.9%) and orthopedics (75.5%). e specialties with the lowest scores were medical telemetry (63.8%), medical (64.4%), telemetry (65.4%) and trauma (65.8%). n PAs urge AMA to drop 'scope creep' campaign By Mackenzie Bean T he American Academy of Physician Associates is calling on the American Medical Association to end its "scope creep" campaign, arguing a more collaborative approach is needed to strengthen the U.S. healthcare system amid significant provider shortages. By 2026, the U.S. will be short 3.2 million healthcare workers, AAPA's top leaders wrote in a July 30 letter to AMA President Bruce Scott, MD. "The American Medical Association's ongoing campaign against PAs and other healthcare providers disregards their contributions and impedes progress in our nation's healthcare system," AAPA President Jason Prevelige, DMSc, and CEO Lisa Gables wrote in the letter. "In this critical moment, the focus must be on building a stron- ger, more resilient healthcare system — not on tearing down other professions." Dr. Prevelige and Ms. Gables allege AMA is "spreading misinformation and using fear-mongering tactics" to undermine the contributions of advanced practice pro- viders. AAPA also said the physician organization has blocked more than 100 bills in 2023 designed to mod- ernize healthcare laws and expand care access. "This obstructionism is not merely a setback but a signifi- cant barrier to addressing the pressing challenges within our healthcare delivery system," Dr. Prevelige and Ms. Gables wrote. "Your campaign against 'scope creep' is a thinly veiled effort to maintain outdated practices, rather than confronting the urgent issues we face today." AAPA is urging AMA to end its public campaign against advanced practice providers and instead engage in con- structive dialogue and collaboration. The AAPA has re- quested a formal response to their letter by Aug. 30 and proposed a meeting between the two organizations to discuss potential solutions. AMA has consistently advocated against expanding scope of practice for advanced practice providers, argu- ing that patient safety and care quality could be compro- mised without physician oversight. "Patients deserve care led by physicians — the most highly educated, trained and skilled healthcare professionals," the organization's website reads. "That's why the AMA vigorously defends the practice of medicine against scope-of-practice expansions that threaten patient safe- ty, and it's why fighting scope creep is a top priority of how the AMA is fighting for physicians." Editor's note: Becker's has reached out to AMA for com- ment on AAPA's letter and will update the article if more information becomes available. n

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