July 12, 2013

The TriHealth Patient-Family Advisory Council (PFAC) was formed in April to provide a forum for conversation and input from our patients and their family members.

The focus of the council is uncovering opportunities for improvements in the patient experience at TriHealth. The Council includes both former patients, family members of patients, staff members and executive leadership. The group meets on a monthly basis. Information shared by the Council is taken back to appropriate persons and committees for action throughout TriHealth.

The May PFAC meeting included a discussion regarding the patient satisfaction survey (HCAPHS) question, "During your hospital stay, did your nurses listen to you carefully?" The council members were asked to describe what this question meant to them and to share any experiences that would impact the way they would answer this question.

It is to be noted that the group stated that even though the question asked about nurses, they weren't only thinking of nurses when they answered the question, but included any caregiver encountered during their stay.

The feedback regarding this Patient Satisfaction question should be reviewed by all team members, not just nurses. A sampling of comments is reported below.

• "If I said, 'I'm a hard stick' when I was going to have blood drawn, I would want a response of 'Oh, Thank you for telling me that. Let me see what I can do for you,' rather than ignoring my concern and not acknowledging it."
• "Be present. Did the person have one 'foot out the door' when talking to me?"
• "Come into the room and focus on the patient eye to eye and on the same level." (Have a seat near the bed.) "Do this at least one time, at the beginning of the shift, so the person gets this contact at least three times a day."
• "When I had an excellent nurse, she constantly asked me for my input and made me feel respected as a person. At the end of her shift, she came to me and said: "Mr. ___, it has been a pleasure taking care of you."
• "Figure out how to have time for human touch points during the day. Nurses and doctors input information into the computer with their backs to the patient. You are constantly answering the phone and being pulled away from the patient."

All TriHealth caregivers can grow and improve by relating these comments and concerns to their daily work with patients. Please continue to consider the patient's point of view - the "Patient Experience" - when interacting with patients and their families.