What is Issues Screening Technology, and How Does it Improve Patient Outcomes and Satisfaction?

The patient experience (PX) involves all interactions along someone's healthcare journey – from seeking a provider to post-care follow-up. Research shows that a positive PX drives excellent health outcomes and builds a system’s reputation and loyalty. A positive encounter in one service line can benefit other ones. For instance, an exceptional emergency department visit for a child's broken arm may determine where the parent gets their hernia repaired.

According to research, patient-perceived quality (i.e., satisfaction) correlates with provider-defined quality.* Establishing patient trust in doctors and nurses relates to three key elements, competence, communication, and compassion.

• Competence: Staff perceived as competent have a professional appearance, actively listen, appear confident, and are attentive to patient needs.
• Communication: Great communicators translate medical issues to lay terms. They also appreciate that communication has much to do with tone and body language. Effective communication results in the patient fully understanding the diagnosis and aftercare plan.
• Compassion:? Compassionate caregivers are mindful of the patient’s situation and respect their autonomy. They are kind, relatable, and empathetic and treat each patient like a friend or family member.

Patients trust caregivers who make the correct diagnosis (competence), clearly explain the situation (communication), and motivate patients (compassion) to adhere to the treatment plan.

Despite the best intentions of physicians and nurses, problems can arise. Issues screening technology (IST) typically reaches patients via SMS the next day. It allows recovery from a worsened condition, aftercare misperception, or a service complaint.

IST also distills positive comments and generates a constant stream of gratitude, which helps offset burnout. Conversely, specific improvement opportunities are identified when poor PX performance is attributed to individuals. When an accurate PX performance metric is shared monthly, outliers are more amenable to coaching.

In conclusion, healthcare providers prioritizing PX will improve patient quality, satisfaction scores, and loyalty. To achieve this, healthcare organizations should use IST to uncover and resolve patient concerns, create a culture of accountability through actionable metrics, and funnel positive feedback to staff. These strategies improve the overall quality of care and build loyalty.

* Doyle C, Lennox L, Bell D (2013). A systematic review of evidence on the links between patient experience and clinical safety and effectiveness. BMJ Open 2013;3:e001570.

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American Academy of Emergency Medicine (AAEM) , American College of Emergency Physicians Emergency Nurses Association , American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians , Society for Academic Emergency Medicine