Patient Satisfaction Improvement Mease Countryside Imaging

Action Plan

Mission To improve customer

satisfaction through

process modification

and the use of effective

communication

techniques among

internal and external

customers of Mease

Countryside Imaging

Services

Vision

Mease Countryside Imaging Services will set the standard in excellence for patient care, technology, and diagnostic quality for the community it serves

Identifying the Challenges• Team members were asked to identify key

challenges that significantly effect patient satisfaction (please see PSI meeting agenda 1/23/09)

• Respondents suggested causes for challenges

• Discussed possible solutions to overcome proposed challenges (please see PSI meeting agenda 3/17/09)

Registration• Provide patients with

business card• Send “Thank You” cards

to patients who have had interventional or other mildly invasive procedures

• Post signs encouraging survey participation in waiting, staging, and treatment areas

• Provide better directions to facility

• 4 dedicated wheelchairs for use on each shift

• All transporters have IDX access and familiar with applications

• Accurate prioritization of exams

• Integrate with current six-sigma team efforts

Transportation

Diagnostic Create a reference guide for unit secretaries to

keep at their workstation

• Communicate proper order entry instructions

• Acceptable diagnoses for commonly prescribed imaging procedures

• Save time and reduce errors

Diagnostic Educate outpatients and

inpatients regarding specific studies (i.e. barium exams and IVP’s)

• Outpatients- Update Baycare’s website with more detailed information about certain exams

• Inpatients- Create educational videos and obtain a portable DVD player to relay uniform information at the patient’s bedside

Diagnostic• Use Cerner as a mode

of communication between ER and Imaging personnel

• Reduce bottleneck in work flow by employing a second PACS/IDX workstation in ER X-ray department

• Explore strategies to improve professional relationships between ER and Imaging personnel

Radiologists Create electronic document for use by physicians

• Help to guide physicians in ordering appropriate imaging procedures as they relate to specific diagnoses

• Reduce unnecessary exams

• Reduce length of stay and many costs

Radiologists

Improve communication with

referring physicians

• Ease patient registration

• Proper communication with patients ensures preparation for exam (i.e. pre-medication, NPO, bowel prep)

Ultrasound• Primarily

transportation challenges

• Notify nurse of patient NPO status

• Create NPO signs to post on the patients’ doors

Computed Tomography

• Personnel are generally satisfied with processes and communication within modality

• Press Ganey comments support these findings

• What can we learn from them?

• How can other imaging Team Members integrate similar processes for similar results?

Nuclear Medicine• Primarily

transportation challenges

• Registration and order entry errors from external customers could use improvement

• Work areas with fewer team members operate more cooperatively

Nursing• Nurse Manager on 3N interested in

improving professional relationship with Imaging

• Willing to collaborate efforts to improve communication between nursing and imaging teams

• Practice action plans as pilot programs through 3N to perfect the systems

Performance Measures

• Bi-weekly scores on Press Ganey reports

• Ratio of Positive to Negative feedback on Outpatient Services Comment Reports

• Number of responses (n=x) versus total number of patients seen

• Measure quarterly

Performance Standards• 90% in all categories on questionnaire within our

direct control

• Positive to Negative Feedback Ratio of 3

• 150 responses per reporting period

Recognition

• Create milestone charts and post them in common area

• Let our customers know how their opinions are helping us to improve

• Celebrate our achievements when quarterly performance meets or exceeds standards

Goals

• Create a culture of compassion for patients

• Maximize quality of care through effective communication and efficiency

• Improve reimbursement with high Press Ganey scores (high percentile)

For your time and the opportunity. I am looking forward to working together on this endeavor.