The Calculus of Patient Satisfaction
Service recovery begins with asking, “What can I do to make this right?” Often the patient just wants the department leaders to be aware so that future cases benefit from some sort of process fix. Depending on the situation, it may make sense to offer a small token, like a meal pass or gift card, to compensate for a relatively minor inconvenience such as a longer than expected wait. Some EDs encourage independent service recovery by empowering charge nurses to distribute such gifts as they choose.
Sometimes a patient will say “I do not expect to be charged for any of this!” because there was a single, non-critical service glitch. When patients have lofty expectations that seem impossible to meet, do not dismiss the demand outright. Instead, offer to funnel the request to a supervisor or an adjudication committee who will get back to them. It is wise to have an organized system to report issues, like an end-of-shift charge nurse summary sent to ED leaders by group email. Decisions to cancel charges or waive an insurance copayment must be vetted in a formal manner so that antitrust laws and payer contracts are not violated. Edward Hospital has a dynamic, interdepartmental Grievance Committee where complaints are heard and addressed and hospital-wide performance opportunities are sought.
Service Recovery
Service recovery begins with asking, “What can I do to make this right?” Often the patient just wants the department leaders to be aware so that future cases benefit from some sort of process fix. Depending on the situation, it may make sense to offer a small token, like a meal pass or gift card, to compensate for a relatively minor inconvenience such as a longer than expected wait. Some EDs encourage independent service recovery by empowering charge nurses to distribute such gifts as they choose.
Sometimes a patient will say “I do not expect to be charged for any of this!” because there was a single, non-critical service glitch. When patients have lofty expectations that seem impossible to meet, do not dismiss the demand outright. Instead, offer to funnel the request to a supervisor or an adjudication committee who will get back to them. It is wise to have an organized system to report issues, like an end-of-shift charge nurse summary sent to ED leaders by group email. Decisions to cancel charges or waive an insurance copayment must be vetted in a formal manner so that antitrust laws and payer contracts are not violated. Edward Hospital has a dynamic, interdepartmental Grievance Committee where complaints are heard and addressed and hospital-wide performance opportunities are sought.