Eyeworld

43 EW FEATURE December 2015 • Patient satisfaction Contact information Olson: RandallJ.Olson@hsc.utah.edu Zhang: fzhang1@hfhs.org Dr. Olson said his institution implemented patient questionnaires after getting fed up with fielding complaints about negative patient experiences. "We talked it over as a group and decided to have a metric and that it was incumbent upon every department to get serious about this," he said. It was ultimate- ly decided to use Press Ganey for the questionnaire, which many other centers across the country also use. The questionnaire covers everything from the front desk, to the OR, to inpatient experience, to the techni- cian, he said. Using patient questionnaires has helped with major improvements, in Dr. Olson's opinion. Every month, scores of patient satisfaction results are published and given out to the faculty. This has helped to provide transparency and allows providers to determine which factors are most influential on good feedback. Dr. Olson said it's been found that wait time is a critical factor. Even with the best providers, it's nearly impos- sible to fall within the 99th percen- tile if the patient has waited longer than 45 minutes. "That's pushed us to try to do better," he said. As far as the patient is concerned, "it's a night and day difference," he said. Having one large database of pa- tient satisfaction results is extremely powerful, Dr. Olson said. There have been improvements in terms of how the health center stacks up to other facilities around the country. "Everyone needs to start taking patient satisfaction seriously," Dr. Olson said. "It's not rocket science." Although it may add some time and expense, he said that there's no question that in the long run doctors can gain more than they lose by paying attention to patient satisfaction. The scores that are most important are how a patient rates the overall experience, how likely he or she is to come back, and how likely a patient is to recommend the practice to others. Dr. Olson said the question- naires have helped to make staffing changes, as continually bad reviews are often grounds for dismissal. Ad- ditionally, the questionnaires allow staff members to voice concerns about areas that might be lacking in the practice. "It certainly has improved how patients feel about the experience, no question," Dr. Olson said, adding that at his facility, every patient who gives a negative review is personally contacted about their concerns. EW Editors' note: Drs. Olson and Zhang have no financial interests related to this article. Leonard B. Nelson, MD Director, Wills Eye Strabismus Center The breakthrough is a surgical procedure called 4 Muscle Tenotomy that reduces nystagmus and increases vision. The Wills Eye Strabismus Center, under the direction of Dr. Leonard Nelson, is leading the way in developing this innovative technique, providing patients with nystagmus a viable surgical option for the first time. We're improving lives at Wills Eye Hospital. Changing how we see Nystagmus. 840 Walnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19107 www.willseye.org 1-877-AT-WILLS

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