Use of Daily Web-Based, Real-Time Feedback to Improve Patient and Family Experience

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Patient Experience Research
• Service Recovery Strategies

Background:

• Real-time feedback is crucial for immediate service recovery in patient and family experience (PFE) initiatives.
• Traditional methods often demand substantial time and financial investment.
• Developing cost-effective solutions is essential for widespread adoption.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the implementation of an automated daily experience question, the Daily Pulse Measure (DPM), using an "edutainment" system.
• To assess the feasibility and impact of the DPM on patient and family experience with minimal administrative cost.
• To evaluate the DPM's effectiveness in facilitating targeted, just-in-time service recovery.

Main Methods:

• A partnership with an "edutainment" system was established to deploy the automated Daily Pulse Measure (DPM).
• The DPM question underwent iterative refinement through Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles, incorporating family feedback.
• The DPM was progressively implemented across all hospital units.

Main Results:

• The DPM achieved a response rate of 23%, comparable to the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey response rate of 24%.
• The DPM did not consistently impact the two evaluated PFE survey questions.
• Units demonstrating improved PFE scores post-DPM implementation showed enhanced service recovery compared to those with static scores.

Conclusions:

• Automated real-time feedback systems, like the DPM, can be implemented with minimal administrative cost.
• While direct impact on specific PFE survey metrics may vary, the DPM facilitates targeted service recovery.
• The study highlights the potential of technology-driven feedback for improving patient and family experiences efficiently.