Give Physicians Real-Time Feedback

"By virtue of their clinical training, physicians are data-driven. They seek to identify and reduce negative variance by accurately diagnosing and treating disease.

By understanding physicians' natural respect for evidence-based information, hospitals can help physicians become more responsive to opportunities for improving patient satisfaction.

In this way, health care organizations can proactively help physicians align with an operating environment where there is increasing public disclosure of data³ that will likely impact the well-being of both hospitals and physicians.

Using Physician Dashboards
A physician dashboard is a simple tool that reports real time data so that hospitals and physicians partner effectively to meet patient needs. Dashboard metrics could include key financial indicators, measures of operational efficiency or report on patient or employee satisfaction. The dashboard metrics will depend upon the needs of each organization and its physicians. They align physicians and staff by highlighting their interdependence in achieving service and operational excellence.

In one medical group/clinic setting, for example, these data points focused on top drivers of patient satisfaction and "access satisfiers" and were collected on a continuous basis for biweekly reporting. They included: wait time for appointment; phone access; overall manner of provider; and overall quality of care.

At another medical center, a dashboard was developed to help its 100 plus physician group better focus on operational efficiency, patient satisfaction, and market growth in a managed care market. It reported a monthly snapshot of actual, target, and variance on: days to third next available afternoon appointment; payer mix percentage (medical group office visits); encounters per day; and length of stay.

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What's In It for Me?
When introducing Studer Group's physician dashboard tool, explain to physicians that while patient complaints may often be subjective, they are statistically correlated to higher numbers of malpractice lawsuits. In fact, a June 2002 article in the Journal of American Medical Association⁴ noted that risk appears "related to patients' dissatisfaction with the physician's ability to establish rapport, provide access, administer care and treatment consistent with expectations and communicate effectively."

When physicians consistently use small behaviors to signal to patients their interest and compassion (e.g., making eye contact, listening, sitting rather than standing over a patient), patient satisfaction soars.

In addition to fewer malpractice claims, physicians who monitor and improve their patient satisfaction scores increase referrals for higher volume and amplify positive word of mouth. They also deliver better clinical outcomes through better patient adherence to treatment regimens and medication use. Greater patient satisfaction also reduces length of stay.

³  The HCAHPS (Hospital—Consumer Assessment of Health Plans Survey) is scheduled for national implementation in 2006. The initiative, sponsored by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), will collect and publicly report data on care from doctors (e.g. courtesy and respect; listening carefully; explaining in a way you can understand) among other items.

⁴  "Patient Complaints and Malpractice Risk," Journal of
American Medical Association, June 12, 2002.