As competition increases and patient expectations change, hospitals are leaning on new — and reinvigorating old — methods to improve care experiences.
Becker's sat down with three systems to find what initiative had the greatest impact on patient experience in the past two years.
Getting back to what works
At Houston Methodist Clear Lake, the most significant improvements to patient experience came from a renewed focus on consistency and "getting back to what works," Andrea Harrow, DNP, RN, vice president of operations and chief nursing officer of the hospital, told Becker's.
"A key area where this shift has made the biggest impact is in rounding and service recovery," she said. "Earlier in the year, patient feedback indicated concerns about the timeliness of addressing issues. In response, we developed a formal process that includes comfort and safety rounds, as well as nurse leader rounding focused on immediate service recovery when necessary."
The initiative, led by unit leaders, the patient-experience team and certified nurses, ensured a proactive response to patient needs.
"Early results show that staff are becoming more proactive in service recovery, with nurses feeling empowered to address concerns right away," she said. "Both patient-experience data and feedback from liaison rounds confirm that this change has had a positive impact on patient satisfaction. We've also seen signs of improved employee satisfaction, which further supports the effectiveness of this initiative."
Embedding AI
Cleveland Clinic saw improvement in patient experience after developing a digital virtual command center that uses artificial intelligence to forecast bed availability, patient demand and caregiver staffing.
"As a result, since last year, we've been able to transfer about 30 more patients to the main campus each week, a 7% increase," a system spokesperson told Becker's. "This has a significant impact on getting patients the care they need sooner."
Cleveland Clinic is also using AI to help manage complex operating room schedules. The program pairs valuable time blocks with the right orthopedic patient and surgeons. Since implementation, it has reduced unused time by 40% and increased patient access to surgery.
"This work is all done behind the scenes but has an important impact on our patients' experience," the spokesperson said.
EHR improvements
Modernizing their EHR and switching to Epic had the greatest impact on patient experience at Houston-based Memorial Hermann Health System, Senior Vice President and Chief Digital Officer Eric Smith told Becker's.
The transition improved scheduling and registration, said Mr. Smith. Patients now receive a single billing statement that includes both professional services and hospital fees. Meanwhile, clinicians can manage complex medical information, improve clinical outcomes and spend more time with patients, he said. The change also created a new patient portal and app.
"[T]he new system provides a more centered focus on the patient's journey across the care continuum," Mr. Smith said. "We truly believe this move will vastly improve our patient experience."