Abstract
Recent studies on the subject of patient satisfaction show that patient-centered care is one of the most prominent models that hospitals can use to improve the aspect of patient satisfaction. With reference to healthcare researchers, it is apparent that patient-centered care model is a responsive to individual patients and a model that ensures that doctors guide patients according to the clinical values and decisions. As a model that hospitals can use to achieve the quality of personal care and creates the organizational relationship, patient-centered care is making patients active in the participating in the treatment programs that are executed by the doctors. Therefore, this project is aimed at designing patient-centered care model for patient satisfaction and improving the healthcare organization. The goal of implementing PCC in this project is to empower patients by making them become active participants in the treatment processes. When the model is in action, nurses, health practitioners, and patients will communicate effectively, which will lead to the increase of satisfaction within the healthcare unit.
Improving Patient Satisfaction in the Hospitals through Patient-Centered Care
The need to continue improving quality and patient satisfaction through the provision of care services in the hospitals has become axiomatic. Apparently, patient satisfaction is known as a major element that affects the clinical outcomes and patient retention. As patients have a right to receive quality healthcare services, patient satisfaction is recognized as a major need that can be meet through the delivery of treatment services in appropriate ways. Research shows that one of the most prominent ways that hospitals can use to meet and improve patient satisfaction is implementing patient-centered care (PCC) model (Motley, 2013). Moreover, in the case where hospitals have implemented patient-centered care practice, it is notable that there are advanced care planning and improved patient satisfactions.
Introduced in 1967, by the American Academy of Pediatrics patient-centered care practice has improved the quality of care programs in the United States. The practice was also introduced to protect patients from different illness, and to allow patients in the U.S. to access affordable treatment services (Frank, Basch, & Selby, 2014). For effectiveness in the implementation of the PCC model, the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) was given the responsibility to fund researches that are related to PCC programs. In the study by Frank, Basch, and Selby (2014), it is noted that the rationale of PCC has become clear to many people in the healthcare system, and for this project, it is critical to study the implementation of the practice with the aim improving patient satisfaction. For the projected be executed in an efficacy manner, the concept of patient satisfaction in the hospitals is analyzed by presenting the goal, objective, and steps of this project. In addition, the researcher incorporates a management theory to this project, with the intention of showing how management theories apply to the improvement of patient satisfaction through PCC practice. For the researcher to present a detailed project that is supported by evidence and factual information, literature from previous studies, case studies, and article journals are used in this discussion.
Analysis of the Patient Satisfaction Need in the Hospitals
In the U.S., measuring patient satisfaction is viewed as a metric of health care and as a way that healthcare people use to know the level and experience of patient satisfaction (Lyu, Wick, Housman, Freischlag, & Makary, 2013). Measuring patient satisfaction has been essential in the U.S. since the healthcare sector use the measurement outcomes to determine hospitals reimbursement and to learn the patient view on the treatment services. Attempt to improve patient satisfaction by the U.S. hospitals performing surgeries has been consistent with some hospitals noting high patient satisfaction and others enduring low patient satisfaction. Lyu et al., (2013) proposes that patient satisfaction can be used as a good concept to predict the quality of surgical care service.
The attempt to improve patient satisfaction among the U.S. hospitals performing major surgeries was set to be done through improving the quality of surgical processes, reducing the surgical readmission fee, and decreasing the surgical mortality rates (Tsai, Orav, & Jha, 2015). However, the attempt was successful and unsuccessful in some hospitals, as to improve the patient satisfaction need through the mentioned strategies is expensive and requires a lot of support from the policymakers. In the surgical hospitals where patient satisfaction was improved efficiently, the federal policymakers reduced hospitals payment. The payment programs were reduced through Hospitals Value-Based Purchasing (VBP), Hospitals Readmission Reduction Program (HRRP), and other financing policies that are established to reduce the intensifying cost of the healthcare system (Tsai, Orav, & Jha, 2015). However, since VBP and HRRP are not favorable to all hospitals, especially hospitals trying to manage their payment cuts in the provision of healthcare services, the patient satisfaction was improved in a few hospitals while the majority of the surgical hospitals failed to improve the need.
Proposed Plan for Change
To improve patient satisfaction, change is needed, and the model to execute the changing plan should be affordable for the hospital carrying out the task. When patient visiting hospitals are unsatisfied, they may launch complaints to the healthcare organizations or seek redress from the healthcare organizations (Ndambuki, 2013). Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (2017) highlights that hospitals’ should include their patient satisfaction at their management role, because when patient are satisfied they share a positive experience with their other patients, which promotes the hospitals services and their reputation. For this reason, this project is aimed at implementing PCC model, as one of the most recognized tools that is enhancing patient satisfaction. To show the way the plan to change patient satisfaction through PCC will be achieved, the researcher bases the project on the following goal and objective.
Goal of the Project
The goal of this project is to improve patient satisfaction through the implementation of a model that will be inexpensive and a model that relates to the healthcare stakeholders. As such, this project tends to demonstrate that since most of the nursing organizations are becoming more accountable for patients outcomes, it is necessary to implement a patient satisfaction model that relates to the patient care outcomes.
The Objective of this Project
The objective proposed for this project is to use patient-centered care practice to improve patient satisfaction and a model that will create interaction between the patient and nurses within the hospitals. In other words, in this project, PCC will be designed with the aim of showing why the model can serve as a foundation for improving care services and bringing integration in the hospitals. Rathert, C., Wyrwich, and Boren (2013) argue that PCC has become an integral part of many hospitals, as it relates to communication and patients adherence to treatment plans. Thus, the focus is to educate employees on the way PCC and its benefits can change the healthcare system and assist in improving service delivery.
Steps to Follow When Implementing PCC model
To implement the PCC model, the researcher will follow written protocols, so that the model will attain the goal and objectives that were set for this project. Bayliss, Balasubramianian, Gill, and Stange (2014) posit that change in the healthcare organizations reflect concrete steps, therefore, the team implementing the plan will consider the following steps.
- The first for this project involve defining the care experience and why improvement is needed for patient satisfaction. In this step, the project planners seek to understand the perspective of the patient on care services and if PCC is a program that can make the healthcare processes convincing.
- The next step is creating a patient-centered care guiding council to educate the nurses and provide them with the guiding point regarding the PCC model. In this step, communication is critical, as the planning team implementing PCC will develop a mutually acceptable environment between doctors, nurses, and patients.
- Making posters and writing down how the PCC model is going to change the working situations in the hospital. In this stage, the person implementing the change takes the responsibility of managing communication between the patients and care providers. The posters will support nurses and making them self-management, as they present the overall need of PCC model and its influence on the patient satisfaction.
- Finally, to implement the PCC model, the leader of the project planning team will use the project team members to close the gap between the current and ideal state of the PCC model. In this step, the main focus is on linking the patient with the PCC practice, hospital’s resources, and care services.
The Project Timeline
The estimated timeline for this project is 90 days, where in this period the project planning team will put everything in order for effectiveness after implementation.
The Materials Used to Implement the PCC Model
In the list of materials needed in the implementation of PCC mode, the project planner knows that the material to be used should relate to the patient needs.
- A Pocket Doctor Booklet, as a tool that doctors will use to write about the disease, diagnostic processes, and the management of the disease.
- Patients and doctors communications material such as telephones, mobile phones, and computers.
- Patients record files.
- A copy of a letter notifying the patient of patient-centered care programs.
Management or Change Theory
As the project is designed around different conceptual and theoretical factors, the project planners use a management theory that will make the implementation of the project significant for both the patient and doctors. Research by Shirey (2013) reveals that when leaders in the healthcare system use theories to implement changing plans, they identify the most successful way to meet the established goals and implement the change plan professionally. Thus, for this project, the theory that is used to assist the implementation of PCC is the theory of complexity science. The theory assists the project planners to select the component of PCC model, develop the project’s timeline, and shows the nurses how they will adopt this change when implemented. Hast, DiGioia, Thompson, and Wolf (2013) state that because the health care is a complex business, innovation through the theory of complexity science can help nurses, and doctors understand the PCC model when implemented for change.
Literature Review
In the modern hospitals, patient satisfaction has become an important and a common element that doctors and nurses use to measure the quality of the healthcare organizations. According to Altin and Stock (2016), patient satisfaction is the extent to which the healthcare needs of an individual meet his or her expectations based on certain perspectives. Al-Abri and Al-Balushi (2014) note that in the United States healthcare sector, patient satisfaction is considered as a drive of hospitals improvement. Altin and Stock (2016) suggest that in countries such as Germany, patient satisfaction is more likely to improve when patients experiences is defined by the patient-centered cared component. In agreement with this point, Al-Abri and Al-Balushi (2014) claim that in Germany PCC is perceived as an element that is allowing patients to communicate with the healthcare people efficiently and get involved in the decision making process.
In a research about “Patient-centered medical home knowledge and attitudes of residents and faculty” El Rayess, et al., (2015) point out that PCC model is a promising framework that hospitals are using to deliver high-quality care, ensuring that they achieve better health outcomes, and a model that is spurring medical staffs to offer medical service in a professional manner. In a study where patient-centered care is compared with other treatment patterns, Starfield (2017) show that patient-centered care is making the healthcare organizations offer their services successfully, as the model is improving communication between the doctors and patient, as well as improving interaction within the healthcare system.
Cost of the Change Plan
The cost estimated for this project is defined according to the workflow in the hospital and the system to be improved. The project is estimated to cost $300, a cost that will cover all the materials involved, payment, and any other expenses. Materials such as the booklet for doctors visiting the patients will cost $5, and since the team involved in this project requires five booklets, so the cost of these materials is $25. The salary for the doctors and nurses assigned to the implementation of the project will be $180. Since most of the patient and doctors owns mobile phones and telephones, these materials will not increase the hospital’s liability or cost; hence the project does plan to spend on them. Finally, $50 is set for miscellaneous, in particular, the money that will be used for transport and any other expenses. Finally, $25 will be set for any emergency that may occur in the process of implementing the project.
Conclusion
This study presents a project that is yet to be implemented with the goal of this project focusing on changing the healthcare system. The need that driving for this project is patient satisfaction, and from the goal of this project, it is evident that patient satisfaction is a very effective indicator that physicians and clinician can use to measure their success as well as the success of the healthcare centers. From the study, patient-centered care (PCC) is presented as a model creating partnership between the patient and the healthcare team improving the patient satisfaction need. Finally, the outcomes of this project are believed to be positive. As such, when the PCC is implemented, it is the hope of the project planners that the task will reflect the health care requirement and heavily focus on care, disease management, and communication between the patient and clinicians.
References
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