Becker's Hospital Review

51 Executive Briefing The 2-Way Street to Patient Satisfaction By James Muzzarelli, MD, Executive Medical Director, Adeptus Health T wo people were in need of emergency medical attention. Patricia drove 45 minutes, waited to be seen for more than 30 minutes, and when she was seen, she could tell the staff was so overburdened they couldn't give her the attention she deserved. Kevin, on the other hand, only drove a few blocks, was seen promptly, and received personalized care and service. Chances are, you know someone who has a story like Patricia's. Many patients have negative emergency care experiences due to systemic problems with access, shortage of quality care and patient satisfaction. In its 2014 National Report Card, The American College of Emergency Physicians assigned an overall grade of "D−" for access to emergency care in the U.S. This low grade reflects too few emergency departments are prepared to meet the needs of a growing and aging population. With emergency visits reaching more than 136 million a year, according to the CDC, which ACEP says is double the rate of population growth, keeping up with demand has reached a critical stage. Clearly, there is much work to be done to address overcrowding, improve access to care and ensure a higher rate of patient satisfaction. So how do we get to a place where experiences like Kevin's are the norm? Alternatives to the Traditional Emergency Room Model In recent years, alternatives to the traditional ER model have popped up across the country. These alternatives address the "access" issue by creating neighborhood access points, making emergency care much more convenient for local residents. While urgent care is one alternative option, these facilities can- not handle medical emergencies like chest pain, heart attack, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism and abdominal pain with fever. These and other medical incidents and symp- toms require much more specialized attention. If you need a CT scan, procedural sedation, EKG or ultrasound, you can only receive these services in a fully equipped ER setting. As a recent ACEP survey highlights, America's emergency care system remains overstretched as emergency visits continue to rise. Plus, respondents noted this rise is combined in part with an increase in the acuity of patients' injuries and/or illnesses. Unfortunately, urgent care alone cannot solve the problem; this is where the freestanding ER model bridges the gap and creates a solution for patients who seek high-quality care from a facility that can handle high-acuity emergencies in a local setting. Remember Kevin's story above? This is the typical experience of a patient with Adeptus Health. Adeptus is transforming the delivery of emergency medical care in the U.S. by creating freestanding ER facilities located within neighborhoods. From our First Choice Emergency Rooms — the nation's oldest and largest freestanding ER system — to our partnerships with lead- ing healthcare systems (including Dignity Health Arizona Gen- eral Hospital with locations in Phoenix; UCHealth Emergency Rooms with locations in Denver and Colorado Springs, Colo.; Jefferson Parish, La.-based Ochsner Health System with loca- tions coming soon in Louisiana; and Columbus-based Mount Carmel Health System with locations coming soon in central Ohio) we are chipping away at the shortage and addressing the need for more access to emergency care. All Adeptus Health freestanding facilities are fully equipped emergency rooms with a complete radiology suite of diagnostic technolo- gy (CT scanner, ultrasound and digital X-ray), onsite laboratory and staffed with board-certified physicians and emergency trained registered nurses. Patient and Physician Satisfaction In addition to creating truly local access to emergency care, Adeptus Health recognizes another element in creating a good ER experience is patient satisfaction. What makes a patient happy? The top factors include short wait times, personalized attention and high-quality care. To make patients happy, emer- gency facilities need to create an environment that takes these factors into account. Our philosophy is to center care around the patient, rather than expect the patient to adapt to our facilities and staff. This philosophy helps us address these factors and be sure our pa- tients are having good experiences. We also recognize that it's critical for our staff to have the resources they need to do their jobs well — this directly affects our ability to serve our patients with the quality of care they seek and deserve. Many people think ERs can be a stressful, unpleasant place for patients, but they are a high-stress environment for physicians, as well. Stress, long hours and changing industry regulations for things like billing can create a chaotic environment that can lead to less-than-ideal workdays. This impacts physician satisfaction. In order to maintain a high level of patient satisfac- tion, it's essential to have physicians who are satisfied with their work environment; it's a two-way street. Many ER physicians tend to "burn out" at a high rate due to the stress of the position, plus not having the ability to control various items in a traditional ER setting. For example, nurses do Sponsored by:

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