KPI of the Day – Healthcare: % Patient satisfaction
Definition
Measures the percentage of patients out of the overall treated ones that are satisfied with the healthcare services provided by the hospital or its medical practice.
Purpose
To assess the patient care service performance provided to the patient, in terms of quality and efficiency, examining whether the medical service meets the expectations of the individual.
Recommendations
Patient satisfaction ascertains the degree to which a patient is content with the medical care provided to him during hospitalization. The measurement and management of patient satisfaction should become a top priority for every healthcare provider since patient satisfaction scores directly impact provider profitability, brand strength, and more.
As such, surveys are the most commonly preferred tool for assessing patient satisfaction. Such survey results are frequently linked to some of the main drivers of patient satisfaction, such as quality of care or meals, cleanliness, or how caring/courteous its staff members are. Such surveys represent real-time feedback for healthcare providers and provide opportunities to improve the quality of their services and reduce risks.
Scoring highly on % Patient satisfaction is usually regarded as one of the most important success factors for a healthcare provider. Some recommendations on how you can look to improve this score are as follows:
- Accurately define the scope of patient surveys and tailor the questions to that scope;
- Opt for written surveys, as these generally have a higher response rate;
- Use a 75/25 questions ratio – which reflects on 75% scaling/rating questions and 25% open-ended questions;
- Set realistic response goals and remember to always manage in an efficient manner all the data you have collected;
- Get feedback from staff members after the survey results have been reviewed.
- Encourage patients to report on their hospitalization experience during treatment.
Focusing on patient satisfaction will improve a healthcare provider’s services, thus allowing him to provide better patient treatment and care. Thus, measuring % patient satisfaction yields big rewards; ignoring it puts you at risk for big penalties.
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Tags: Healthcare performance, KPI, Survey
