Making the experience of elective surgery better.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Quality Improvement
• Patient Experience Research
• Surgical Care Optimization

Background:

• Patient experience is a critical component of overall healthcare quality.
• Enhancing patient experience in elective surgery settings is a key objective for healthcare providers.
• Previous assessments indicated areas for improvement in patient satisfaction, communication, and pre-operative fasting.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement and evaluate a quality improvement project focused on enhancing the patient experience in elective surgery.
• To identify key factors negatively impacting patient satisfaction during elective surgical procedures.
• To develop and test strategies for improving patient communication, reducing fasting times, and managing waiting periods.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a mixed-methods approach including patient surveys, semistructured interviews, and questionnaires.
• Collected data on overall satisfaction, fasting duration, and staff communication.
• Implemented changes through 'Plan, Do, Study, Act' cycles, focusing on arrival times, communication points, and patient information.

Main Results:

• Patients undergoing later-day operations reported significantly lower satisfaction due to prolonged waits, poor communication, and extended fasting.
• Implemented strategies included staggering arrival times, establishing a single point of contact, and revising patient information.
• Post-intervention, the percentage of patients reporting an 'Excellent' or 'Good' experience increased from 65% to 96%.

Conclusions:

• The quality improvement project successfully enhanced patient experience in elective surgery.
• Key outcomes included a significant increase in patient satisfaction, reduced waiting times, and improved information dissemination.
• The project demonstrated the effectiveness of structured interventions in addressing patient needs and improving surgical care quality.