Humanizing Patient Care and Improving Satisfaction with Sacred Moments
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Humanizing Patient Care and Improving Satisfaction with Sacred Moments
As more research points to patient and family engagement as the cornerstone of better care and outcomes, hospitals are returning to good old fashioned medicine to create healing environments for caregivers, patients, and families.
For Twin Rivers Regional Medical Center in Kennett, Missouri, where a large number of Medicare and Medicaid patients seek treatment, improving the caregiver and patient experience has become more than a fiscal initiative. It has become “sacred.” In 2011, the 116-bed hospital found itself rated in the 33rd percentile on the HCAHPS patient satisfaction surveys. This position isn’t ideal for any hospital to hold at any time, but the low scores left the rural hospital particularly vulnerable with new health reform measures looming. In response, Twin Rivers Regional Medical Center partnered with ExperiaHealth, an advisory and technology firm, to identify the source of low patient satisfaction and deploy a strategy to accelerate improvement.
Following a rigorous data collection phase that included mapping process gaps; analyzing staff and patient surveys; and conducting peer, patient, and family interviews, several leading issues were identified. What can be accomplished by simply listening is amazing. The valuable feedback garnered from this interactive process revealed root causes and amplified the voice of staff, patients, and families. This simple exercise also inspired hospital leaders to design a no-cost, high-reward Sacred Moments program that has bridged communication gaps, energized staff, empowered patients, and restored human connections. After the first year of implementing the Sacred Moments program, Twin Rivers Regional Medical Center raised its ratings in every domain of the HCAHPS survey, including an increase of more than 30% in the “top box score” rate, which denotes the percentage of responses that were in the highest possible rating category. The trend continues today, as the top box score is now more than 50% higher than it was when Twin Rivers first implemented this program in December 2011.
The Sacred Moments program focuses on what matters most to patients, discovering any fears they may have about their hospital stay and working together to alleviate their anxiety. Upon arrival to the hospital or to an inpatient room, a nurse will ask meaningful questions about the patient’s support system, if they have certain spiritual needs, what their expectations are while in the hospital, and if they have any specific concerns. Establishing a real human-to-human connection is very important to the healing process. After the “sacred moment,” another provider visits the patient to ask clinical questions. The personal information coupled with clinical information creates a holistic image of the patient that can help guide the patient’s care. Implementation of the program has hospitalists and specialists collaborating more with nurses to ensure individual patient needs and questions are addressed quickly and efficiently. The chief of staff of the obstetrics/gynecology department identified questions to ask patients that would reveal what truly matters to them. Energized by the program and peers, an orthopaedic surgeon developed a set of questions to help cultivate a personal relationship with patients before beginning clinical care. It’s about making first impressions that last.
It is also about creating a culture of support and purpose. This program is so powerful because it is low cost and cost effective; the return on investment is tremendous. The simple act of empathy and reconnecting with patients has reminded caregivers why they became a healthcare professional: to care for people and make a difference in the lives of others. Their attitudes about the workplace have improved, which in turn has created a more nurturing environment for both patients and employees.
In addition to increased patient and nurse satisfaction, the cultural transformation triggered by the human-centered program continues to be demonstrated by increasing physician engagement and leadership improvement initiatives. The impact being made by the Sacred Moments program is getting attention beyond the walls of Twin Rivers and is poised to set new expectations in care delivery.
In January 2013, the hospital was selected to join the Always Events® Community and Recognition Program. Always Events, supported by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, are national principles for improving the delivery of patient- and family-centered care. In contrast to the well known “Never Events” that refer to incidents that should never happen in the delivery of care, patient-focused Always Events are aspects of the patient and family experience that should always occur when patients interact with healthcare professionals and the delivery system. The Sacred Moments program at Twin Rivers Medical Center is also a prototype for rural hospitals around the country. In February 2013, ExperiaHealth launched a Rural Health Experience Innovation Network modeled after the medical center’s success. This 12-month program is designed to support rural hospitals in implementing evidence-based approaches to patient experience improvement.
Steve Pu is the medical director at Twin Rivers Regional Medical Center in Kennett, Missouri. He is a board-certified general surgeon trained in the diagnosis and treatment of chronic, non-healing wounds. Licensed by the State Medical Board of Missouri, his affiliations include Missouri Foundation for Health, Missouri State Board of Healing Arts, Institute of Medicine Round Table on Health Disparities, Health Literacy of Missouri, and HMA Division II Physician Representative for Resource Management Committee. Pu has been appointed as a clinical professor in surgery by Kansas City University, adjunct clinical professor in surgery by University of Missouri of Medicine, and adjunct clinical professor in surgery by Still University Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Steve Jackson is chief operating officer for ExperiaHealth, where he oversees the company’s operations, cultivates relationships with national healthcare organizations, and works closely with the National Patient Experience Collaborative to design and deploy innovative solutions to improve patient communication, safety, and satisfaction. For more than 15 years, Jackson has worked with leading academic medical centers, health systems, community hospitals, and children’s hospitals to address their most pressing strategic, operational, financial, and clinical imperatives. Prior to joining ExperiaHealth, Steve served as vice president of business development for ExperiaHealth’s parent company, Vocera Communications, where he was responsible for strategic planning, partnerships, and mergers and acquisitions. Jackson may be contacted at sjackson@experiahealth.com.