Why Always? Because It’s the Right Thing to do. (Think About HCAHPS.)
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A guest blog post by Kevin Driver; Director, Organizational Excellence; Raleigh General Hospital
Recently, CMS published updated HCAHPS top box scores to its Hospital Compare Web site. Later this year, they will use these scores to adjust Medicare reimbursement based on performance. As you know, most HCAHPS survey questions use a frequency scale of Always, Usually, Sometimes and Never. We strive for Always for a number of reasons, including the fact that, as the top box score, it is the only answer we get credit for on Hospital Compare and under value-based purchasing (VBP). Any other response essentially counts as a zero.
Some advocate that Always may be unrealistic or too hard to achieve. Others are understandably disappointed that we don’t earn at least partial credit for the other three responses. But, if we turn the tables and look at our expectations as customers, it is easier to see why Always matters and, more importantly, why “Usually” just isn’t good enough.
Putting yourself in the place of the customer, think about how you would answer the following questions and, more specifically, would any answer other than Always be acceptable to you?
- How often did your employer give you your paycheck on-time?
Always Usually Sometimes Never
- How often did your health insurance work when you attempted to use it?
Always Usually Sometimes Never
- During your last visit to the bank, how often did the bank accurately record the amount of your deposit/withdrawal?
Always Usually Sometimes Never
- During your last trip, how often did the pilot / airline maintenance crew complete pre-flight inspections between flights?
Always Usually Sometimes Never
- During your last trip, how often did the flight team get you to your destination/connection in a timely manner?
Always Usually Sometimes Never
- During your last trip, how often did your luggage arrive with you at your final destination?
Always Usually Sometimes Never
- When called, how often did your Fire Department respond in a timely manner to your needs?
Always Usually Sometimes Never
- When called, how often did the Police respond in a timely manner to your needs?
Always Usually Sometimes Never
For most of us, the only acceptable response to the above questions would be Always. If we were inconvenienced by a response of Usually, we would likely change jobs, banks or airlines. And if the situation were emergent or if we are in the vulnerable position our patients sometimes face, our lives could be changed forever by the inconvenience or shortcomings of encountering less than Always.
Always is more attainable than we think. I encourage you to work with your local team to identify ways you can work together to create “Always events.” What steps can you take as an individual to offer a more consistent patient experience? What steps can you take as a team to ensure you are doing the right thing at each and every patient encounter?
Reprinted by permission from LifePoint hospitals. Learn more about LifePoint Hospitals.
Learn more about HealthStream’s Patient Experience (HCAHPS) Survey.
Learn more about improving your HCAHPS scores.