Oklahoma State University's Center for Health Systems Innovation in Stillwater, Okla., teamed up with The Leapfrog Group to boost participation in the nonprofit's voluntary hospital survey and identify barriers to completion.
While the national hospital survey is voluntary, hospital participants are given a safety grade by Leapfrog, which calculates a cumulative score for the facility across multiple categories of data including surgical safety, hospital-acquired infection rates, and more.
The team at the university's Center for Health Systems Innovation tracked hurdles, allotted time to complete the survey, and more, after teaming up with the Oklahoma State University Medical Center — a facility that had never before participated in Leapfrog's hospital survey — according to a June 10 news release.
"As consumers, we do a great job of researching the best place to buy a hamburger or a car," Cari Marshall, a practice facilitator for Center for Health Systems Innovation and the northeast Oklahoma regional leader for The Leapfrog Group, said in the release. "Why don't we have the same mindset and thoroughness in researching our health care? I urge all hospital systems to participate, as this truly is a win-win situation. They either share evidence that highlights their strengths, or they use the survey to improve the safety of health care they provide to their patients."
They found it can sometimes take longer than 80 hours of designated time for even just one department to gather its data and necessary information to complete its section of the Leapfrog Hospital Survey.
Based on the experience, researchers with the Center for Health Systems Innovation provided a report to The Leapfrog Group and the following changes were made ahead of the nonprofit's 2024 survey opening:
- When a hard copy of the Leapfrog Hospital or ASC Survey is downloaded by a staff member, a pop-up now displays asking if they want to set up a one-on-one introductory call with Leapfrog Group staff for support.
- Reiterating the qualifications of the Leapfrog Group help desk staff, who are able to assist not only with technical difficulties on the site, but also in data verification, requests for documentation and more.
- More intensive "bootcamp" style deep-dive sessions were offered to "help survey coordinators, quality directors, patient safety officers, nurse and physician leaders, hospital executives, and other hospital and health system leaders gain an in-depth understanding of various aspects of Leapfrog's two national ratings programs: the Leapfrog Hospital Survey and Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade," according to its website.
- A follow-up webinar offering to explain how metrics used for the nonprofit's Leapfrog Hospital Survey are also used to calculate the separate Hospital Safety Grade.