Rapid cycle testing drives improved communication and satisfaction using in-person survey

Area of Science:

• Healthcare communication
• Quality improvement in emergency medicine
• Patient satisfaction studies

Background:

• Effective communication with families is crucial for enhancing patient safety and satisfaction in healthcare settings.
• Traditional mailed surveys offer limited and delayed data, hindering rapid improvement cycles in emergency departments.
• This study aimed to improve consistent communication and overall family satisfaction within an emergency department setting.

Purpose of the Study:

• To increase the proportion of families reporting consistent communication from nurses and providers from 52% to 80%.
• To enhance overall family satisfaction by increasing the percentage of families who rate their visit as 'excellent'.
• To establish a more responsive feedback system for quality improvement initiatives.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the model for improvement framework to identify key drivers of communication consistency.
• Implemented interventions focused on interprovider communication and educating families about communication processes.
• Conducted eight Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles and utilized in-person surveys for timely data collection.

Main Results:

• The percentage of families reporting consistent communication increased from 52% to 70% over a 12-month period.
• The proportion of families rating their visit as 'excellent' rose from 62.5% to 75%.
• Weekly survey response rates significantly improved, increasing from 3 to 22 responses.

Conclusions:

• Iterative quality improvement cycles focusing on interprovider communication and family engagement effectively enhanced perceived communication consistency.
• Improvements in communication positively impacted family satisfaction, particularly for those with neutral prior experiences.
• In-person surveys proved valuable for informing real-time quality improvement efforts in the emergency department.