MHA News Now

White paper: “Improving Employee Morale through a Post-Discharge Callback Program”

Here is a copy of  J.L. Morgan & Associates latest white paper, Improving Employee Morale through a Post-Discharge Callback Program. The white paper demonstrates how hospitals can use current resources, such as their callback program, to improve employee morale and recognition. 

J.L. Morgan is an MHA corporate sponsor. For more information, contact Jay Bishop, MSHA, CPHQ, Chief Operating Officer, at 205-995-7108 or jay.bishop@jlmassoc.com.

Study: Twitter Data Could Supplement Hospital Quality Surveys

A study by researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital finds patients’ tweets could be used to supplement hospital quality improvement surveys. Although the researchers found no direct relationship between the tweets and quality improvement surveys, they say the Twitter data capture patient sentiments in an unsolicited way and provide a broader view than surveys.

Learn more here.

For Hospitals, Sleep And Patient Satisfaction May Go Hand In Hand

As hospitals chase better patient ratings and health outcomes, an increasing number are rethinking how they function at night — in some cases reducing nighttime check-ins or trying to better coordinate medicines — so that more patients can sleep relatively uninterrupted.

Read more from Kaiser Health News here.

Webinar: Reducing 30-day hospital readmissions while improving HCAHPS scores

J.L. Morgan & Associates is hosting a webinar on reducing readmission and improving HCAHPS scores on Aug. 14 at 1 p.m. Register online here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

AHRQ Seeks Feedback on Proposed Update of CAHPS Clinician & Group Survey

AHRQ is inviting comments on several proposed changes to the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Clinician & Group (CG-CAHPS) Survey and the Patient-Centered Medical Home Item Set. The proposed changes are summarized in a Federal Register Notice published January 21.

Comments on the proposed changes must be received no later than 5 p.m. ET February 20. Please submit comments by email, with “CG-CAHPS Proposed Changes” in the subject line.

CAHPS surveys ask consumers about their experiences with health care. The CAHPS program at AHRQ supports the development and promotion of CAHPS surveys, toolkit materials and comparative databases and provides technical assistance to users.

10 ways to boost patient satisfaction

There are at least 30 ways to grow patient satisfaction at your healthcare facility, but 10 key service standards should do the trick. Joan Hablutzel, senior industry analyst with the Medical Group Management Association, told attendees at the MGMA 2014 annual conference Monday that increasing patient satisfaction was challenging, but necessary to the success of a medical practice in an increasingly competitive healthcare marketplace.

"Identify low patient satisfaction scores and work as a team to design, implement and maintain solutions," she said. "But focus on the patients, not the scores."

Setting standards for customer service is essential to improving patient satisfaction, Hablutzel noted. The standards may be simple, but can transform the way in which staff interact with patients, as well as boost patient perception of the practice. Hablutzel walked MGMA 2014 attendees through 30 steps to increasing patient satisfaction, but emphasized that there are actually 10 "top" standards on which practice staff should focus.

Four areas ripe for HCAHPS improvement

Acing patient satisfaction surveys is a sort of Holy Grail for hospitals and health systems, especially as patient satisfaction scores are increasingly tied into pay-for-performance programs. Adam Blomberg, MD, the national education director of Sheridan Healthcare's anesthesia division, says most patients — excluding a few, like new mothers — come into the hospital because they have a medical issue, so besides striving for complete satisfaction, hospitals should simultaneously "strive to decrease dissatisfaction."

Read more here.

Three proven ways to boost patient satisfaction

Patient satisfaction has become increasingly important in health care delivery. Aside from boosting hospital and facility reviews, studies have shown that patient satisfaction is critical when it comes to how patients recover in a hospital setting.

Even more importantly, patient satisfaction is being integrated as a metric for pay-for-performance programs. One of those is from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which will tie Medicare reimbursement to, among other things, patient satisfaction.

At this juncture, it is critical to start implementing measures to boost patient satisfaction, making it a non-negotiable priority. Here are three proven ways that the anesthesia department can do so.

3 Inexpensive Ways to Enhance Patient Experience

Fancy amenities such as gourmet meals, healing gardens, and multi-million dollar expansion projects can make patients feel good about a hospital stay, but there are cheaper ways to bolster the patient experience. Read more here.

Now Available: Webcast of CAHPS Online Reporting Demonstration

If you were unable to participate in the January 15 Webinar about AHRQ's Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS®) Database and online reporting, you can now view the session online. AHRQ has posted a recorded Webcast of the event, “Using the CAHPS Database to Compare, Report, and Improve Organization Performance.”

During the Webinar, speakers presented an overview of the CAHPS Database, including a demonstration of the CAHPS Database’s Online Reporting System, two examples of organizations that have been using the CAHPS Database and Online Reporting System, and an explanation of how survey users can participate in this free, voluntary program. Visit the registration page to access the recorded Webcast.