Minimize the Risk of Repeat Service Failures

by Susan Keane Baker

“We’re getting nowhere! We brought in consultants, created incentives, fired people and still our satisfaction scores resemble an EKG tracing. Now the Board is all over us. We’ve got to find the answer.”

Too many hospitals and health systems are unable to reach or sustain high levels of patient satisfaction because they haven’t bravely examined their organization’s patient-unfriendly processes.

The solution: An all-leader weekly meeting that uses patient concerns and complaints to improve the patient experience.

Because all leaders who influence the patient experience are at the table, decisions can be made quickly to alleviate the frustrations of patients and staff who endure the same problems over and over again. These leaders don’t just recover the patient and family from service failures, they prevent those failures from happening again to other patients and families.

Read about one hospital’s experience with weekly meetings: http://tinyurl.com/6jrw535

John Kenneth Galbraith said:

“Forced with the choice between changing one’s mind and proving there is no need to do so, almost everyone gets busy on the proof.”

Before you rationalize that you can’t possibly fit in another meeting, consider:

• Accountability to patients and families is the key to sustained gains.
• It’s too easy to rationalize, “it would never happen on my watch.”
• Full participation results in better decision making.
• A sense of urgency is created when real and recent problems are considered. Problems get fixed instead of shelved.
• Your values will be demonstrated loudly and clearly, resulting in a learning experience like no other for your team.
• It’s too easy for some staff members to blame your patients for your problems.
• Employee satisfaction increases when staff can focus on pleasing patients instead of appeasing them.