Patient Satisfaction Initiatives
Patient Surveys
Contacts
John Loehner, MD
Service Chief (Moses Division)
Instructor (General Internal Medicine)
Karen Eschenbach
Senior Administrator (Montefiore)
keschenb@montefiore.org
Leslie Bank
Customer Services Director (Montefiore)
lbank@montefiore.org
Strategy
As part of an ongoing commitment to providing the best patient care
possible, Montefiore Medical Center continually mails benchmarked
patient satisfaction surveys to patients and families to measure
and gather feedback on both inpatient and ambulatory care services
provided by the Department of Medicine.
Results
The initiative has resulted in large increases in patient satisfaction scores in the inpatient and outpatient settings.
Montefiore administrators and other quality improvement leaders use
the survey data to formulate strategies for better health care service
delivery through new initiatives or adjustments to current practices.
These initiatives include:
- Posting survey results and comments in resident and physician
assistant conference rooms and holding monthly orientations to increase
residents and PAs' awareness of the patient experience
- Required support staff training courses on dealing with difficult situations and professional comportment
- Required clerical support staff training in front desk operations (forthcoming)
- One-on-one coaching/mentoring for all practice-based support staff
Related
Montefiore First in NY State To Implement Advanced Patient Feedback System
Physician-Patient Communication
Contacts
Jeffrey Weiss, MD
Medical Director (Montefiore Medical Center)
Assistant Professor (General Internal Medicine)
Strategy
The physician-patient relationship is a key component of effective
healthcare. When physicians effectively connect with patients and
families to get critical information, appropriate diagnosis and
treatment can be instituted sooner which can lead to improved clinical
outcomes. The Einstein-Montefiore Department of Medicine’s quality improvement
initiatives focus intensively on facilitating effective communication
to increase patients' comfort and reduce anxiety during their hospital
stay and outpatient visits.
Department of Medicine service teams are encouraged to
discuss clinical issues with patients during each morning's rounds.
These include treatment goals, upcoming procedures and test results,
new medications and possible side effects, the estimated length of
their hospital stay, and pain management goals.
A physician scripting curriculum has been implemented to maximize
doctor-patient communication. Communication guidance helps doctors
understand how to listen actively; speak in lay terms; and convey
respect, empathy, and confidence in stressful situations. By
habitualizing practices of knocking before entering patients' rooms,
pulling the curtain closed, and sitting at the bedside, physicians have
increased patients' perception of receiving thoughtful, personalized
care and attention.
Scripting has also established consistency in how physicians across Montefiore's
extensive network communicate with their patients.