obvious: We weren't doing a good enough job informing patients and
their families when delays happened. Once we identified the problem,
our entire team worked together to overhaul our communication
practices from the moment patients arrive right up until they walk out
the door.
Phase 1: Admission
You set the tone for the surgical experience the moment the patient
shows up at the registration desk for admission. Make sure your
receptionist tells them exactly, to the best of her ability, when the
nurse will arrive to take them back to the pre-op area. You also want
to be upfront about potential setbacks, which is something you
often have an idea about at this stage of the process. If a patient
checks in, hears everything is right on schedule and then gets hit
with a significant delay, they're far more likely to report a negative
experience than if you say, "Hi Ms. Smith, just to let you know we're
running a little behind, but we're doing everything we can to keep
you as close to on schedule as possible."
Phase 2: Pre-op
We continue our communication with patients in the pre-op area. As
soon as patients settle into a bay, they're updated on how long it will
likely be before they're brought back to an OR. We also allow a
patient's family member or significant other to keep them company.
This small comfort has a major impact on patients' anxiety. It also
makes it easier to relay information to everyone, including the
patient's family member or significant other, associated with the case.
Phase 3: Surgery
Before overhauling our communication process, we had a situation
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