One of the main goals of any healthcare organization is to earn
the satisfaction and loyalty of its patients. But most hospital
stays aren't perfect, and one of the keys to ensuring that patients
leave with a sense of satisfaction is a hospital's ability to
resolve problems swiftly and thoroughly when they arise.
Numerous studies of service industries indicate that when a
problem occurs and is handled effectively, consumers affected by
the problem may be just as satisfied as those for whom everything
went perfectly. Gallup's frequent analyses of patient satisfaction
and loyalty scores reveal that, as in the case of overall
patient satisfaction, satisfaction with problem resolution depends
on hospitals' placement of both effective processes and
effective people.
How Are Hospitals Doing on Problem Resolution?
Problem resolution is an area with significant room for
improvement in many hospitals. It is one of the lower-scoring
attributes in Gallup's 2001 patient satisfaction and loyalty
database. Mean scores for inpatient satisfaction with problem
resolution are significantly below those for overall patient
satisfaction.
Ratings of satisfaction with problem resolution are equally
striking when examining the percentages of "very satisfied"
patients (those giving a score of 4 on a scale of 1 to 4). Among
Gallup's core patient loyalty attributes, only satisfaction with
food service scores below satisfaction with problem resolution with
regard to the percentage of "very satisfied" inpatients.
How Can Hospitals Improve Problem Resolution?
One key to improving problem resolution is empowering staff
members to resolve problems on their own, without having to consult
management. Gallup best practice analysis indicates that the most
successful healthcare managers give their staff members the power
to immediately resolve problems they encounter, but that they are
also readily available to support their staff when needed. The same
managers report that there is no easy way to motivate staff members
to take ownership for problem resolution -- it is a talent that
they must look for in the recruiting process.
Empowered employees are not the only crucial factor for
successful problem resolution. Hospitals must have effective
processes in place by which patients are encouraged to alert staff
members when a problem arises. Many patients are hesitant to inform
nurses of problems, perhaps because they are in a dependent
position and fear retaliation. Patients must have other ways to
make their voices heard. Highly visible promotion of a patient
hotline is one formal option. Another option is incorporating
housekeeping and food service employees (who patients may find less
threatening than actual care providers) in the patient
communication process. In any case, success should be measured not
in terms of a reduced number of complaints, but by signs that
problems are being communicated and resolved effectively.
Once employees are empowered and processes are in place, speed
and communication are critical. Inpatient complaints are usually
relatively minor -- e.g., the television, telephone, or call button
are not working. If these problems are uncovered, they can be
resolved quickly and easily, rather than being allowed to fester.
More complex clinical concerns may require the assignment of a
problem resolution SWAT team, consisting of members of different
departments (nursing, lab, radiology, etc.), to guarantee follow-up
on all problems within 24 hours. Often, all patients and family
members want is someone to be concerned and listen to them.
Bottom Line
Things may not always go perfectly at the hospital, but if
employees can identify patients' problems, are empowered to
immediately resolve simple issues, and can communicate with
patients effectively about the timeline and process for resolution,
the outcome will be more satisfied and loyal patients.
