I
n 2019, whether
you work as an
anesthesia
provider, a periopera-
tive nurse, a surgeon
or a surgical facility
executive, you need
to be thinking about
patient satisfaction.
You can improve the
patient experience the
old-fashioned way by
adding compassion to your bedside manner, but you also should be
looking for opportunities to leverage technology to give patients a bet-
ter understanding of their care. It can sound like a lot, and in some
ways, it is.
Star ratings, increased competition and changing healthcare reim-
bursement models are all pushing us to do better, but there's also the
simple fact that happier patients tend to have better outcomes than
frustrated ones. Here are 3 ways we're looking at patient satisfaction.
Ask a simple question
At the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Surgicenter, we ask all
our patients the same question upon admission: "What matters most
today?"
You'd be surprised how much their answers will vary. Some patients say
they just want to get through the day. Others have specific concerns about
1
1 8 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 9
'What Matters Most Today?'
That's the question you should ask every patient upon admission.
Business Advisor
Steven Butz, MD
• FIX WHAT'S BROKEN One simple question — "What matters most today?" — can
improve patient satisfaction scores.