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| Spencer Tepper from Compirion Hospital Solutions LLC, a solution provider company at the marcus evans National Healthcare CXO Summit Spring 2012, on increasing patient satisfaction and operational efficiency within the healthcare environment. |
NEW YORK, Apr 12, 2012 - (ACN Newswire) - Healthcare has become much more competitive and business oriented in the last 20 years, and part of that is the demand for better quality, service and cost metrics. The Accountable Care Organization (ACO) is really the next step, and will depend heavily on sound performance and clinical information.
Three metrics gathering intense public and healthcare leadership attention are patient satisfaction, infection rates and re-admissions, says Spencer Tepper, President, Compirion Hospital Solutions LLC. With the advent of Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) and Value Based Purchasing, the Federal Government intends to tie reimbursement to these and other metrics, in addition to Electronic Medical Record (EMR) implementation. This is becoming a challenge for Healthcare Chief Executive Officers (CEOs).
Ahead of the marcus evans National Healthcare CXO Summit Spring 2012 in Hollywood, Florida, April 26-28, Tepper discusses the importance of reducing re-admission rates and wait time, while increasing patient satisfaction.
- How can hospitals reduce re-admission rates?
Healthcare CEOs can spend more time looking at actual patient outcomes, length of stay, re-admission rates and satisfaction with their direct reports, every week. While it may appear these are different, they are symptoms of management and supervision issues that can improve all three almost immediately, and a host of other measures as well.
The CEO can take a greater interest in witnessing the actual work of care. It makes a big difference and that scrutiny will do a world of good in cleaning up metrics. Many hospitals thought things were going just fine because their metrics said so, but when the metrics were audited they revealed that patient satisfaction, infection rates, throughput times, core and Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP) measures were not doing as well as previously reported. The people who knew it did not want to rock the boat. In fact the metrics had been systematically changed in stages to give the executives what they wanted to see, not what was actually happening. It seems impossible. It happens all the time. That is why the CEO has to do this, to make it OK to uncover issues and straighten them out.
Re-admissions happen for many reasons. In an Institute of Medicine (IOM) study written up in Modern Healthcare Magazine, poor implementation of EMR led to higher mortality rates. Here a great "solution" has, in some cases, made the situation worse. But the IOM study concludes that training, development and management supervision are the keys to making sure a "solution" such as EMR really helps, and does not make things worse. It is not just about getting the latest EMR software, the best Patient Satisfaction training, running Lean programs and making sure everyone washes their hands. When improvements are pasted one on top of the other, you can get the problems identified in the IOM study.
Right now about 15 per cent of a hospital's admissions need to be re-admitted to the hospital within days of their initial discharge. So, the problem is significant. Did we do everything we were supposed to? Does the patient know what to expect and what they must do to manage their post-hospital care? Do they feel that they were taken care of and that they do not have to return? All of these "fixes" must be coordinated around a priority of patient involvement and understanding.
- What can Healthcare CEOs do to increase patient satisfaction?
CEO rounding, eye-witnessing the relationship of patients and their care-givers and acknowledging what they see is a big first step. It sets the model for everyone else in the organization. It says "I am interested in what patients are going through" and creates that value for the hospital. What the CEO attends to becomes the values within the hospital, regardless of what they say or post on a wall. For many hospitals, doing just this will represent a huge culture change.
When people are sick, they do not want to wait long to see a doctor; if they cannot get into a hospital, they will go elsewhere. We must look at what is making it difficult for patients to get in and get immediate access to care.
Hospitals are so afraid of un-reimbursed care that they often inadvertently encourage a slow-down of patient processing. So then the whole process becomes inefficient and much more expensive. The dynamics begin with culture.
It is not complicated, but somehow, seeing it for yourself puts it into perspective.
- What would increase efficiency within the hospital environment?
We must keep the focus on patients. 30 minutes of patient delay is 30 more minutes that patient requires care and supervision. Every hospital should have a dashboard that includes a daily reflection of patient satisfaction and quality. Looking at these metrics on a regular basis will encourage brainstorming, action and sensitivity from staff and management at the frontline level.
Hospitals have placed all of their energy on cost management and documentation strategies, and these avenues have been exhausted. As the IOM study alludes to, it can take the focus off the patient with dire consequences. Looking into operational efficiencies and making sure the job is done right the first time, will help us avoid additional work, cost and unhappy patients. There are huge opportunities, not only to grow in volume but to handle that efficiently, simply by eliminating sources of time, energy and capital waste.
- What are your projections for the next few years?
In the next few years, we will begin seeing hospitals with larger outpatient facilities, smaller inpatient facilities, more home care and more "Walmart" care competitors, reflecting the new direction of healthcare. This will resolve some long-standing quality and service issues as well as find ways to serve patients with less delay. Furthermore, as with the EMR, these changes will introduce new challenges for coordination, communication and collaboration.
Hospitals are getting much closer to their patients and communities. It is an exciting time to be part of this dynamic environment.
About the National Healthcare CXO Summit Spring 2012
This unique forum will take place at The Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa, Hollywood, Florida, April 26-28, 2012. Offering much more than any conference, exhibition or trade show, this exclusive meeting will bring together esteemed industry thought leaders and solution providers to a highly focused and interactive networking event. The Summit includes presentations on continually finding ways to maximize budgets, developing an accountable care organization and ensuring compliance for upcoming transformations of our healthcare system.
For more information please send an email to info@marcusevanscy.com or visit the event website at www.healthcare-summit.com/SpencerTepperInterview
Twitter: www.twitter.com/meSummitsGlobal
YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/MarcusEvansGroup
SlideShare: www.slideshare.net/MarcusEvansSummits
marcus evans group - healthcare sector portal - http://tiny.cc/yjtebw
About Compirion Hospital Solutions LLC
Compirion Hospital Solutions is truly unique among hospital consulting firms - first, for our behavioral approach, second, for our willingness to put our entire fee on the line by providing a money-back guarantee, and most importantly, for the outstanding rate of improvement at our client-hospitals.
Compirion works with hospitals to grow billable volume through exceptional patient satisfaction, improved throughput and core measures, higher labor productivity and staff retention. For more information, please visit www.compirion.com.
Contact:
Stacey Melvin
Journalist
marcus evans, Summits Division
Tel: +357-22-849-400
Email: press@marcusevanscy.com
Topic: Press release summary
Source: marcus evans Summits
Sectors: BioTech
http://www.acnnewswire.com
From the Asia Corporate News Network
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