Improve Patient Satisfaction With a Smile and an Ear

GRAPEVINE, TEX. – It’s not easy to put a smile on your face for every patient, but experts say it’s worth the effort to help boost patient satisfaction ratings.

It is critical to ensure that patients are satisfied with their hospital stay, said Dr. Steven B. Deitelzweig, system chairman of hospital medicine at Ochsner Health System in New Orleans. Patient satisfaction can translate to increased volume from referrals, improved quality measures because of better patient compliance, and increased satisfaction for physicians because of the better connection between them and their patients.

(c) Yuri Arcurs/Fotolia.com

And it helps hospitalists earn more money because patient satisfaction scores often are tied to compensation, he said.

But it’s not as simple as providing the best care. High-quality care alone does not translate to high patient satisfaction. And when it comes to the skills needed to help patients feel more comfortable in the hospital, most physicians just don’t know what to do. It’s not something taught in medical school, but physicians can learn these skills, Dr. Deitelzweig said at the annual meeting of the Society of Hospital Medicine.

Start by making the best first impression possible, Dr. Deitelzweig advised. That means smiling whenever you enter a patient’s room. Be sure to shake hands and introduce yourself and your team members. And take a seat. Patients will perceive that the visit has been longer if you sit down with them, he said.

Another important part of the introduction with patients and their families is to explain what a hospitalist does, said Dr. Winthrop F. Whitcomb, a cofounder of the Society of Hospital Medicine and the medical director for health care quality at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Mass. Dr. Whitcomb recommends putting together a short, simple script to explain the role of the hospitalist. "I cannot tell you how important this is," he said. He also suggests that hospitalists hand out a business card with a photo on it so that patients can remember them later. It’s difficult for patients to keep track of the many different physicians and nurses coming in and out of their room, he said.

Before leaving the patient’s room, summarize what you’ve said and write it down, Dr. Deitelzweig said. Then ask the patient to repeat the information back to you to make sure they understand. Ask them, "Does this seem reasonable to you?" Dr. Deitelzweig said. He also suggested letting patients have the last word by asking them, "Is there anything else I can do for you." Once the patient has had a chance to ask questions, the hospitalist should shake hands and thank them, he said.

If you’re going home for the day, be sure to let patients know who will see them next, Dr. Whitcomb said. And don’t just tell them that a new hospitalist will be in to see them. Tell them the name of that physician, he said.

Patients like to know what to expect so hospitalists can go a long way in improving patient satisfaction by telling patients what they are doing and why, Dr. Deitelzweig said. "It’s a very good way to connect with patients," he said. One way to do this is to use a white board located in the patient’s room to write the names of the care team, the expected length of stay, and the care plan, Dr. Whitcomb said.

After establishing a good rapport with a patient, don’t destroy it by making unprofessional comments in the hallway, Dr. Deitelzweig advised. Avoid talking about patients in elevators, hallways, the cafeteria, or others places where family members and patients can hear. And no griping about personal problems in front of patients, Dr. Deitelzweig said. He recommended an experiment to get a sense of what patients experience in the hospital. Go into an empty room for 15 minutes and see what you hear from the hallway. You may be shocked by what you hear, he said.

Hospitalists can also help improve patient satisfaction by keeping in mind that illness has an emotional side, too, Dr. Deitelzweig said. "empathetic listening" can be useful. Let patients know that you understand their concerns with comments like, "This must be difficult for you" or questions such as, "What worries you the most about being ill?" he said. And whenever possible, give patients some control by including them in decisions about their own care, he said.

GRAPEVINE, TEX. – It’s not easy to put a smile on your face for every patient, but experts say it’s worth the effort to help boost patient satisfaction ratings.

It is critical to ensure that patients are satisfied with their hospital stay, said Dr. Steven B. Deitelzweig, system chairman of hospital medicine at Ochsner Health System in New Orleans. Patient satisfaction can translate to increased volume from referrals, improved quality measures because of better patient compliance, and increased satisfaction for physicians because of the better connection between them and their patients.

(c) Yuri Arcurs/Fotolia.com

And it helps hospitalists earn more money because patient satisfaction scores often are tied to compensation, he said.

But it’s not as simple as providing the best care. High-quality care alone does not translate to high patient satisfaction. And when it comes to the skills needed to help patients feel more comfortable in the hospital, most physicians just don’t know what to do. It’s not something taught in medical school, but physicians can learn these skills, Dr. Deitelzweig said at the annual meeting of the Society of Hospital Medicine.

Start by making the best first impression possible, Dr. Deitelzweig advised. That means smiling whenever you enter a patient’s room. Be sure to shake hands and introduce yourself and your team members. And take a seat. Patients will perceive that the visit has been longer if you sit down with them, he said.

Another important part of the introduction with patients and their families is to explain what a hospitalist does, said Dr. Winthrop F. Whitcomb, a cofounder of the Society of Hospital Medicine and the medical director for health care quality at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Mass. Dr. Whitcomb recommends putting together a short, simple script to explain the role of the hospitalist. "I cannot tell you how important this is," he said. He also suggests that hospitalists hand out a business card with a photo on it so that patients can remember them later. It’s difficult for patients to keep track of the many different physicians and nurses coming in and out of their room, he said.

Before leaving the patient’s room, summarize what you’ve said and write it down, Dr. Deitelzweig said. Then ask the patient to repeat the information back to you to make sure they understand. Ask them, "Does this seem reasonable to you?" Dr. Deitelzweig said. He also suggested letting patients have the last word by asking them, "Is there anything else I can do for you." Once the patient has had a chance to ask questions, the hospitalist should shake hands and thank them, he said.

If you’re going home for the day, be sure to let patients know who will see them next, Dr. Whitcomb said. And don’t just tell them that a new hospitalist will be in to see them. Tell them the name of that physician, he said.

Patients like to know what to expect so hospitalists can go a long way in improving patient satisfaction by telling patients what they are doing and why, Dr. Deitelzweig said. "It’s a very good way to connect with patients," he said. One way to do this is to use a white board located in the patient’s room to write the names of the care team, the expected length of stay, and the care plan, Dr. Whitcomb said.

After establishing a good rapport with a patient, don’t destroy it by making unprofessional comments in the hallway, Dr. Deitelzweig advised. Avoid talking about patients in elevators, hallways, the cafeteria, or others places where family members and patients can hear. And no griping about personal problems in front of patients, Dr. Deitelzweig said. He recommended an experiment to get a sense of what patients experience in the hospital. Go into an empty room for 15 minutes and see what you hear from the hallway. You may be shocked by what you hear, he said.

Hospitalists can also help improve patient satisfaction by keeping in mind that illness has an emotional side, too, Dr. Deitelzweig said. "empathetic listening" can be useful. Let patients know that you understand their concerns with comments like, "This must be difficult for you" or questions such as, "What worries you the most about being ill?" he said. And whenever possible, give patients some control by including them in decisions about their own care, he said.

GRAPEVINE, TEX. – It’s not easy to put a smile on your face for every patient, but experts say it’s worth the effort to help boost patient satisfaction ratings.

It is critical to ensure that patients are satisfied with their hospital stay, said Dr. Steven B. Deitelzweig, system chairman of hospital medicine at Ochsner Health System in New Orleans. Patient satisfaction can translate to increased volume from referrals, improved quality measures because of better patient compliance, and increased satisfaction for physicians because of the better connection between them and their patients.

(c) Yuri Arcurs/Fotolia.com

And it helps hospitalists earn more money because patient satisfaction scores often are tied to compensation, he said.

But it’s not as simple as providing the best care. High-quality care alone does not translate to high patient satisfaction. And when it comes to the skills needed to help patients feel more comfortable in the hospital, most physicians just don’t know what to do. It’s not something taught in medical school, but physicians can learn these skills, Dr. Deitelzweig said at the annual meeting of the Society of Hospital Medicine.

Start by making the best first impression possible, Dr. Deitelzweig advised. That means smiling whenever you enter a patient’s room. Be sure to shake hands and introduce yourself and your team members. And take a seat. Patients will perceive that the visit has been longer if you sit down with them, he said.

Another important part of the introduction with patients and their families is to explain what a hospitalist does, said Dr. Winthrop F. Whitcomb, a cofounder of the Society of Hospital Medicine and the medical director for health care quality at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Mass. Dr. Whitcomb recommends putting together a short, simple script to explain the role of the hospitalist. "I cannot tell you how important this is," he said. He also suggests that hospitalists hand out a business card with a photo on it so that patients can remember them later. It’s difficult for patients to keep track of the many different physicians and nurses coming in and out of their room, he said.

Before leaving the patient’s room, summarize what you’ve said and write it down, Dr. Deitelzweig said. Then ask the patient to repeat the information back to you to make sure they understand. Ask them, "Does this seem reasonable to you?" Dr. Deitelzweig said. He also suggested letting patients have the last word by asking them, "Is there anything else I can do for you." Once the patient has had a chance to ask questions, the hospitalist should shake hands and thank them, he said.

If you’re going home for the day, be sure to let patients know who will see them next, Dr. Whitcomb said. And don’t just tell them that a new hospitalist will be in to see them. Tell them the name of that physician, he said.

Patients like to know what to expect so hospitalists can go a long way in improving patient satisfaction by telling patients what they are doing and why, Dr. Deitelzweig said. "It’s a very good way to connect with patients," he said. One way to do this is to use a white board located in the patient’s room to write the names of the care team, the expected length of stay, and the care plan, Dr. Whitcomb said.

After establishing a good rapport with a patient, don’t destroy it by making unprofessional comments in the hallway, Dr. Deitelzweig advised. Avoid talking about patients in elevators, hallways, the cafeteria, or others places where family members and patients can hear. And no griping about personal problems in front of patients, Dr. Deitelzweig said. He recommended an experiment to get a sense of what patients experience in the hospital. Go into an empty room for 15 minutes and see what you hear from the hallway. You may be shocked by what you hear, he said.

Hospitalists can also help improve patient satisfaction by keeping in mind that illness has an emotional side, too, Dr. Deitelzweig said. "empathetic listening" can be useful. Let patients know that you understand their concerns with comments like, "This must be difficult for you" or questions such as, "What worries you the most about being ill?" he said. And whenever possible, give patients some control by including them in decisions about their own care, he said.