Facing new considerations in on-demand and flexible staffing to national workforce expansion programs, we’ve learned that today’s hospital and health system leaders are in a tough spot with staff retention. In fact, the RN vacancy rate sits at 9.9% nationally.
But, it goes beyond the nursing profession. It can be difficult to find and keep the right people in all roles: physicians, physician assistants, physical therapists, licensed clinical social workers, medical receptionists and more, thus creating a domino effect of impacts on quality of care, knowledge dissemination, expenses, and importantly, patient safety.
When reflecting on why they first joined the healthcare industry—whether it was three or 30 years ago—many professionals we spoke to remarked on their desire to make a difference in patients’ lives. So, why and how does that inspiration get lost along the way? One reason may be that these caregivers don’t have the opportunity to receive regular positive feedback from their patients. That’s why we created Short Shoutouts.
Short Shoutouts was designed to connect patients and their loved ones, in the simplest way possible, with the extraordinary individuals who positively impact their healthcare experience. In less than a minute, patients can scan a QR code (avoiding the germs associated with shared pens) and recognize anyone who positively impacted their experience—from check-in to check-out—within a HIPAA-compliant platform.
We listened to your most common roadblocks in healthcare recognition and addressed them within the platform. For example:
- Many times, patients are unaware of the job titles of their assigned caregivers, so we designed Short Shoutouts for quick and easy recognition of the correct staff member, every time.
- Patients’ loved ones are typically not contacted digitally for post-visit feedback and many times resort to handwritten thank-you notes that may not make it to the intended recipients.
- Since feedback for HCAHPS scores must happen once a patient has left the property, patients have typically forgotten the names or interactions they wanted to recognize in the first place.
By harnessing the power of on-site, quick-turn recognition, we strive to uplift the spirits of healthcare professionals, encouraging a positive and supportive environment that transcends the conventional patient-caregiver relationship. Our vision is rooted in the belief that acknowledging the efforts of healthcare professionals contributes to a more compassionate and effective healthcare system, ultimately enhancing the overall well-being of individuals and communities.
An added benefit? Happier patients—which is critical when less than half of patients rated U.S. healthcare quality as excellent or good in a recent Gallup survey. A renewed focus on staff recognition also fosters patient satisfaction, as patients benefit from the improved care and positive atmosphere created by appreciated healthcare providers.
How does the platform work?
After a patient submits their “Shoutout,” we also can include an invitation that links out to your preferred next step: for example, a DAISY Award nomination form for a patient to recognize one of your nurses if they so choose.
What are the next steps?
See the platform in action here. Hospitals and health systems simply export data from their HRIS system and upload it to the recognition portal.