After implementing an "always on" feedback and employee rounding tool, Louisville, Ky.-based Norton Healthcare has raised satisfaction scores 15% in one year, closed gaps in communication, and re-engaged staff.
The digital rounding tool, developed by CipherHealth, uses electronic means to solicit feedback and collect information from patients and staff. Once that feedback is submitted, in real-time, hospital leaders receive notification and can more immediately address any issues that arise before they hurt satisfaction scores.
Nurses and clinicians can then use that information to prioritize patient rounding check-ins, which has also helped with staff retention, Charlotte Ipsan, DNP, RN, chief hospital officer at Norton told Becker's.
"The ability to be able to do that in the moment, and … get alerts that go directly to certain departments, we can then escalate issues with the hospitalist…," Dr. Ipsan said. "The real-time feedback and the ability to collate allows us to identify trends in the information. It is so impactful to be able to take care of things in real time for patients."
Its primary benefits for staff so far have been in reducing duplication of efforts, and helping clinicians work "smarter not harder" she said.
Via a rounding report that is sent to all hospital leaders from the CipherHealth tool, directors and executives can see which nurses are currently out rounding — which also made it useful for accountability at first, she said.
As time went on, Norton Health leaders have been able to use that data to more effectively correlate metrics on patient experience and employee retention and understand where big or small-scale changes need to be implemented across the system's 400 locations throughout Kentucky and Southern Indiana. It also quantifies the situations that were fixed in real time and for instances that are not, the health system turns to one of its many patient experience leaders.
"The tool's crowdsourcing feedback system has really helped us to get to the root of the problem, and then be able to share 'here's what we're able to do about it,'" Dr. Ipsan said. "It creates a culture where folks want to share more and more with us as they see us really listen to the voice of our customers and our employees, as well. We need to take care and wrap our arms around everyone. This isn't just patient focused or employee focused. This is a true wraparound service that helps us support all."
Editor's note: This article was updated Aug. 5 at 6:30 p.m. CT.