Examining patient satisfaction incentives through different lenses

by Thomas Dahlborg
My most recent Hospital Impact blog post "The hidden costs of incentivizing patient satisfaction" received a powerful and informative response. Today we continue the conversation with feedback received via the FierceHealthcare - Healthcare Leader Idea Exchange LinkedIn forum.
Tom S., M.D., through the lens of patient satisfaction and process improvement, highlights the folly of incentivizing patient satisfaction, as well as reminds us of the need to identify the root-cause of barriers to our goals:
"Creating a financial incentive for patient satisfaction is like treating hypoglycemia with glucose. It works, but is short-lived and does not address the underlying cause. The goal is to permanently change the culture so that all the staff strive for great service (e.g., turnaround times) and are perceived as empathetic (e.g., address pain, emotional stress, etc). Look for systemic obstacles that prevent success (such as inadequate staffing). Having the right culture results in "performance pride" that always outperforms financial incentives."

Many other experts also hone in on the importance of identifying and addressing barriers to patient satisfaction and outcomes at the root-cause level to truly improve patient satisfaction/experience and outcomes all while decreasing the cost of care (the triple AIM).
From Miles S., through the lens of service quality and patient engagement:
"Patient experience is not about increasing costs per se. It is about doin...

Source: hospital impact - December 5, 2013 Category: Health Managers Authors: Wendy Johnson Source Type: blogs