Health Services Research Commons^™

Unveiling Patient Satisfaction: Exploring Demographics, Interactions, And Health-Seeking Behavior, Vanessa B. Crowther, Cassandra Shaw-Johnson, Robbya R. Green-Weir, Pia S. Woodley, Marilyn A. Weatherspoon, Errick D. Farmer, Arlesia L. Mathis

Patient Experience Journal

Objective: This study examined the social context of the patient visit (demographics, waiting room experience, patient-provider interaction) and their relationship to satisfaction with the quality of care when seeking medical treatment. It also examined satisfaction as a predictor variable for its effect on three patient behavioral outcomes. Methods: The study was implemented using a cross-sectional quantitative design among adults aged 18 and older. One hundred fifty-eight participants responded to the survey, and the final sample size was n = 147. We employed advanced data analysis, hierarchical regression, three-way ANOVA, linear regression, and logistic regression to examine four outcome variables. Results: …

An Exploratory Qualitative Study Of Perinatal Experiences In An Acute Setting During Early Phases Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Sharon Hoosein, Pamela Winchester, Stephanie Babinski, Naomi Smith, Payalben Bhavsar, Susan Law

Patient Experience Journal

The COVID-19 pandemic was highly disruptive for people delivering babies in-hospital and for obstetrical healthcare professionals. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of people with or without COVID-19 giving birth in a community-based hospital to provide patient insight to obstetrical care providers regarding the services/policies used during the pandemic. Nine interviews were conducted with participants within six months of giving birth in-hospital – four who tested positive for COVID-19 and five who tested negative. Seven themes were identified in the analysis: conflicting emotions; experiences of COVID-related protocols; altered experiences of pregnancy and birth; other aspects of …

Refining Successful Implementation Strategies For The Surgical Safety Checklist In High-Income Contexts: Results Of An International Mixed Methods Study, Meagan E. Elam, Christopher J. Louis, Jonathan Woodson, Nathan Turley, Denisa Urban, Mary E. Brindle, Jacey A. Greece

Patient Experience Journal

The WHO Surgical Safety Checklist (SSC) continues to show inconsistent success in reducing surgical complications in high-income settings. Previous implementation research identified potential barriers and facilitators to success, but it primarily consists of qualitative studies with small sample sizes in limited geographic areas. We conducted a multi-country mixed-methods study of barriers and facilitators to SSC implementation to better inform policies and practices for improving SSC buy-in and use to maximize its impact. This convergent parallel mixed-methods study utilized survey and interview data from surgical team members practicing in five countries. Survey data were analyzed using χ² analysis or Fisher’s …

A Concept Analysis Of The Patient Experience, Tanja Avlijas Rn, Mscn, Janet E. Squires Rn, Phd, Michelle Lalonde Rn, Phd, Chantal Backman Rn, Phd

Patient Experience Journal

Patient experience, an essential indicator of quality patient care, is of increasing importance to hospitals that want to improve and maintain strong patient experience metrics to remain competitive in the business of healthcare. The aim of this study was to clarify the concept of the patient experience by identifying its existing definitions, methods of measurement, and underlying themes and attributes, to differentiate it from similar concepts and propose an operational and theoretical definition to guide valid and reliable development of future assessment tools. Walker and Avant’s eight-step methodology served as the framework for this concept analysis. A literature search, using …

Going From An Academic Medical Center To A Community Hospital: Patient Experiences With Transfers, Alexander Kazberouk, Nicole Boyd, Sandra Oreper, Michael Chang, James D. Harrison, Priya A. Prasad, Ari Hoffman

Patient Experience Journal

Academic medical centers (AMCs) often operate at or near full capacity, which leads to delays in care while smaller community hospitals may have excess capacity. To address this issue and to match patient needs to care acuity, patients may be transferred from an AMC emergency department for direct admission to a community hospital. We aimed to explore the experiences and perspectives of patients who were transferred. We randomly selected patients transferred between February 2019 and February 2020. We conducted structured thirty-minute interviews containing fixed response and open-ended questions focusing on the transfer rationale and experience, care quality, and patient financial …

Determinants Of Ambulatory Patients’ Satisfaction With Encounter At Core Service Stations In A Tertiary Hospital Of A Developing Country, Ndubuisi Emuka Opurum, Ogaji Samuel Daprim, Felix Emeka Anyiam

Patient Experience Journal

Patients may have different and complex convictions of what their idea of satisfaction is, which may not be addressed regarding what they perceive as satisfaction. Therefore, using the patients’ demographic and clinical characteristics could tailor the individual needs of these patients, hence, providing feedback and recommendations on improvement in services provided. This study examined the determinants of patients’ satisfaction with general outpatient department (GOPD) services of a tertiary hospital in Rivers State, Nigeria. A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among new and repeat patients attending the GOPD of the University of Port-Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Rivers State, Nigeria. A structured …

Resource Utilization Among Informal Caregiver Of Lung Cancer Patients Undergoing Treatment, Charlotte T. Lee, Clarelle L. Gonsalves, Jenny Gao-Kang, Wyatt G. Pickrell, Ruth F. Barker

Patient Experience Journal

The objective of this study is to explore patient and caregiver factors that shape the use of available resources to support caregiving for lung cancer patients undergoing treatment. A mixed-method study was conducted at one regional cancer centre within the Province of Ontario, Canada, using concurrent triangulation design. Adult patients with lung cancer (n=46) and their caregivers (n=42) (37 patient-caregiver dyads) were invited to complete a one-time study survey. Informal caregivers (n=20) also participated in a one-time semi-structured interview. Descriptive statistics and Pearson’s correlation were used to examine patterns of resource utilization and associations among study variables. Content analysis was …

Using A Multidisciplinary Data Approach To Operationalize An Experience Framework, Kevin Spera, Garrett Holmes, Sunni Barnes

Patient Experience Journal

Like many healthcare organizations, Baylor Scott & White Health (BSWH) is awash with data. Often, this data is used in siloed departments to monitor safety and quality, make local business decisions, and motivate staff to improve processes to achieve sustained excellence and market share. As margins get thinner and competition from various disrupters increases, organizations have tried to improve the patient experience to remain viable as part of a calculated strategy. Nevertheless, these entities have struggled to focus limited resources for sustained improvement in patient experience. This article details how a large Texas-based healthcare system "operationalized" The Beryl Institute's Experience …

Building Patient Participation In Quality Of Care Through The Healthcare Stories Project: A Demonstration Program In New York State Hiv Clinics, Abigail Baim-Lance, Freda Coren, Margaret Brown, Hazel Lever, Daniel Tietz, Bruce Agins

Patient Experience Journal

There is growing recognition that patients should play a central role in defining, assessing, and improving the quality of healthcare, thereby enhancing patient experiences. Healthcare organizations struggle to meet these goals, which require becoming more patient-centered and patient-involved. The Healthcare Stories Project (HCSP), a demonstration program of the NYS Department of Health AIDS Institute, aimed to address this. HCSP comprises three, stepwise activities to: 1) Capture how patients define and experience ‘quality of care’ in the clinic; 2) Engage patients and providers as equal partners in understanding and improving the quality of care; and through partnerships, 3) Support the building …

Patients’ And Family Caregivers’ Perceptions Of Doctor-To-Doctor Advice And Electronic Referral Notifications In Alberta, Yong Li, Annabelle Wong

Patient Experience Journal

Effective communication between health professionals and patients is essential to patient safety and quality care. Primary care providers seeking specialist advice to manage patients’ conditions in the community has recently been adopted to improve timely access to specialty care and increase the efficacy of the referral process. To understand patients’ and family caregivers’ perceptions on doctor-to-doctor advice for non-urgent clinical questions and electronic referral communications with patients in Alberta, a mixed method online survey was conducted by Alberta Health Services’ Access Improvement team. A total of 1,422 patients and family caregivers living in Alberta were included in the quantitative and …

No Visitors Allowed: How Health Systems Can Better Engage Patients’ Families During A Pandemic, Jennifer Schlimgen, Amy Frye

Patient Experience Journal

The ravages of COVID -19 and the no visitor policies that accompany it have forged a tectonic shift in the patient and family experience. This hit home for me with a recent family member health event and hospitalization, leading me to think “we HAVE to do better!” Why should hospitals and health systems care about family involvement during COVID-19?

Experience Framework

This article is associated with the Patient, Family & Community Engagement lens of The Beryl Institute Experience Framework (https://www.theberylinstitute.org/ExperienceFramework).

• Access other PXJ articles related to this lens.
• Access other resources related to this lens.

The Use Of Organizational Assessments In Improving Patient And Staff Experiences In The Ambulatory Care Setting, Linda C. Lombardi, Andrew B. Wallach Md, Paula A. Wilson Mba

Patient Experience Journal

As the needs of patients evolve, healthcare organizations must diversify their approach to improving patient experience. Their programs should encompass the medical, mental, spiritual, and emotional needs of patients and their family members and the staff who care for patients. This case study examines the results of the evaluation to assess the effectiveness of organizational patient experience efforts. The Beryl Institute’s Experience Assessment was the evaluation tool administered and revealed the areas in which the organization was performing well and where improvements were needed. In collaboration with Ambulatory Care and Finance, the Office of Patient Experience targeted the Adult Primary …

Management Of Frequent Ed Users By Community Paramedics Improves Patient Experiences And Reduces Ems Utilization, Oluwakemi Aiyedun Adio, Laura Ikuma, Sonja Wiley

Patient Experience Journal

This study examined a suburban emergency medical system (EMS)-led community paramedicine (CP) program in terms of adherence to protocol, patient-paramedic interactions, patient experience, and cost. Participants (n=57) are frequent emergency department (ED) users (≥ 4 ED visits/year), with a mean age of 59.8±17.6 years and have multiple chronic conditions. Of these, 36 completed a modified Clinician and Group Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CG-CAHPS) survey at 3- and 6-months following program enrollment. The main outcome measures were adherence to intake goals; types, modes, and frequencies of CP interventions; CG-CAHPS patient experience scores; and cost savings. Cost savings compared …

Patient Experience In Outpatient Clinics: Does Appointment Time Impact Satisfaction?, Shikha Shah Modi, Jennifer B. Costigan, Mark Lemak, Sue Feldman

Patient Experience Journal

The objective of this study is to understand patient experience by appointment time by analyzing the Consumer Assessment of Hospital Provider and Systems (CAHPS) scores at a granular level across pre-determined time periods (AM and PM). This study utilized quantitative and qualitative methods. A deidentified secondary data set from the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Press Ganey website was used to analyze the difference in CAHPS scores across AM and PM time periods. Unstructured survey responses were analyzed as a way to further enrich the quantitative findings. The data sample consisted of 821 responses from a dermatology clinic for the …

Patients’ Experience In Hong Kong Hospitals: A Comparison Between South Asian And Chinese People, Nimisha Vandan, Janet Yuen-Ha Wong Dr., Paul Siu-Fai Yip Chair Professor, Daniel Yee-Tak Fong Dr.

Patient Experience Journal

Patient experience in hospital is positively associated with both self-rated and objectively measured health outcomes. In many countries ethnic minority patients have more negative experience and bear a disproportionate burden of disease than their majority counterparts. However, hospital experience of ethnic minority patients in Asia is still unexplored. We aimed to explore the hospital experience of South Asian ethnic minority and compare that with local Chinese patients’ experience in Hong Kong. A cross-sectional study sample comprised of 783 participants (388 South Asian and 395 Chinese). Picker Patient Experience-15 (PPE-15) questionnaire was used for data collection. Simple and multiple regressions were …

Exploring Peer Mentoring In Pediatric Transition: Perspectives Of Different Stakeholders About Accompanying Patients In Gastroenterology, Guillaume Dumais-Lévesque, Marie-Pascale Pomey

Patient Experience Journal

The literature identifies several issues in the pediatric transition, such as the lack of coordination between pediatric and adult settings and young patients who are not exercising independence in the self-management of their disease. The objective of this study is to explore the potential for a pediatric transition program in gastroenterology, introducing an accompanying patient program to support the transition. A qualitative case study was conducted, including semi-structured focus groups and individual interviews with each group involved in the pediatric transition between two centres in Quebec. A thematic analysis of the collected data was performed using QDA Miner v5.1. In …

The Impact Of Parental Presence In The Nicu On Hospital Alienation And Other Distress Measures, Katherine D. Taylor, Lindsey Mclaughlin, Devon Kuehn, Justin Campbell, John Kohler Sr, Jason Higginson

Patient Experience Journal

Parental presence in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) positively impacts infant development. Few studies have examined the impact of presence on parental distress. Alienation, or lack of trust in the healthcare team, may occur independently from other forms of distress. Increased parental presence was hypothesized to reduce alienation by allowing for more positive in-person interaction with hospital staff. Parents of infants born < 28 weeks or < 1000 grams were prospectively enrolled and completed several surveys measuring distress prior to discharge, including a novel hospital alienation questionnaire. Spearman correlation was used to compare distress measures and visitation rates of 68 mothers and 6 fathers. Alienation was rarely reported and was uncorrelated with other distress measures. Maternal presence was most strongly correlated with anxiety, though this was not statistically significant. Fathers who were more alienated were present in the NICU less and correlation between maternal and paternal alienation was strong. These results were not statistically significant, however. Though statistically significant results were not produced in this research, hospital alienation does appear to be a distinct concept that has been unstudied previously.

Experience Framework

This article is associated with the Patient, Family & Community Engagement lens of The Beryl Institute Experience Framework. (http://bit.ly/ExperienceFramework)

• Access other PXJ articles related to this lens.
• Access other resources related to this …

Solitude And Fear During The Great Coronavirus War, Chiara Catania, Ester Del Signore, Letizia Gianoncelli

Patient Experience Journal

When you get ill, the first thing that comes to your mind is, “Will I make it? Will I survive?". COVID19 has a major impact on mental health. A sadness that inundates us like a river in flood and which we cannot hold back. But the thing that torments is the solitude. Those who struggle towards recovery do it alone, and those who do not make it die alone. An emblematic experience of a sense of loneliness, depression and death during illness is deeply described. We tell how the love of family and friends can help to recover from the …

Moving Forward To The Future Of Healthcare, Jason A. Wolf

Patient Experience Journal

To say this moment in our shared global history feels shaky or uncertain for so many is not a statement of despair. Rather, it is acknowledging a reality through which we can best act and hopefully step through. As of the time this editorial will publish, well over 50 million cases of COVID-19 will have been reported. This is a reality all of humanity is sharing together; it is a challenge that healthcare is being called on to tackle. The work of people around the world to care for the sick, to find the right treatments and vaccines and the …

Special Issue – July 2021 The Impact Of Inequity & Health Disparities On The Human Experience, Patient Experience Journal

Patient Experience Journal

Patient Experience Journal (PXJ) is excited to announce the call for submissions for its July 2021 special issue on the impact of racial inequality, health disparities, and discrimination on the human experience. The world now finds itself in the grips of a global pandemic that is taking its toll on communities socially and economically, placing strain on healthcare workers and revealing the very systemic weaknesses and inherent biases that have been resting just beneath the surface of our society for years. The challenge of disparity and inequity is not unique to healthcare, but in the era of COVID-19, what many …

Micro-Volunteering At Scale Can Help Health Systems Respond To Emergencies, Such As The Covid-19 Pandemic, Neil Churchill Obe

Patient Experience Journal

One of the unprecedented challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic has been to support millions of clinically high-risk individuals who were advised to self-isolate for long periods to reduce the likelihood of infection. The NHS in England issued a mass call for volunteers in March 2020 to help support people who were shielding or vulnerable for other reasons during the lockdown. Three quarters of a million people came forward to aid the health at home experience for these vulnerable individuals by providing friendly telephone calls, help with shopping or collection of medicines or transport to essential hospital appointments. Hospitals also used …

Cards From The Community: Engagement Of The Local Community To Enhance Patient And Staff Experience During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Brittany Branson

Patient Experience Journal

During the COVID-19 pandemic, in accordance with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC.gov), strict visitation restrictions were implemented across the six hospital Yale New Haven Health System (YNHHS) in an effort to protect patients, visitors and staff. In addition, to the extent that it is possible, YNHHS staff have been encouraged to work remotely. While these measures achieve the goal of reducing the number of people within the hospitals and enable successful social distancing, they also may contribute to social isolation for both patients and staff. A program called “Cards from the Community” was developed to …

My Six-Word Story: Power To Reconnect And Connect, Alexie Puran

Patient Experience Journal

The COVID-19 global pandemic is a threat to the well-being of our healthcare professionals. Recent studies on the mental health effects of healthcare professionals from China and Italy have revealed higher levels of depression, anxiety and psychological distress. As a Pediatric Emergency Medicine physician working on the frontline and a H3 (Helping Healers Heal) Peer Champion, I sought to support my staff’s well-being and emotional resilience. My Six-Word Story, a simple and meaningful activity was designed to support the psycho-social well-being of those on the frontline providing care. This new project was implemented in the Pediatric Emergency Department at NYC …

Nursing Leadership During Covid-19: Enhancing Patient, Family And Workforce Experience, Anne Aquilia, Karen Grimley, Barbara Jacobs, Maryellen Kosturko, Jerry Mansfield, Charlotte Mathers, Peggie Parniawski, Laura Wood, Victoria Niederhauser

Patient Experience Journal

The global COVID-19 pandemic has challenged nurse leaders in ways that one could not imagine six months ago. Along with ongoing priorities of providing high quality, cost-effective and safe care, nurse leaders are also committed to creating environments that support excellence in patient and family experience. This article will provide exemplars of how nurse leaders used decisive decision-making, adapted to novel situations and issues, ensured reliable and safe delivery of care and engaged patients, families and their workforce to create excellent experiences of care during the pandemic. Throughout this crisis, nurse leaders have learned how to grapple with quick and …

Caring For Our Caregivers In Body, Mind And Spirit During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Rick Evans, Philip J. Wilner, Kristen Spillane

Patient Experience Journal

New York City became the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020. The surge of critically ill patients combined with widespread social distancing measures created extraordinary challenges for healthcare workers. Many frontline workers experienced significant physical, psychological, and emotional distress. They faced demanding patient care responsibilities while managing personal obligations and health concerns.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, it was imperative that NewYork-Presbyterian care for its workforce’s physical, psychological and emotional needs, not only because of our commitment to our colleagues as people, but also because of our obligation to continue to deliver high quality care and experience to the …

Leveraging The Agility Of The Care Experience Dyad Partnership Model During Covid-19, Vanessa Mona, Rana Awdish Md Fccp

Patient Experience Journal

The extraordinary nature of COVID-19 has presented, and will likely continue to present, unique challenges for care delivery systems; not only in respect to delivery of care to patients, but also in respect to the ways in which health systems care for, and facilitate safe working environments for their employees. It was identified early on that COVID-19 would challenge our Health System, Henry Ford, in its ability to provide an optimal experience of care for our patients. We realized that the feelings of isolation experienced by patients, anxieties experienced by their families and impacts to the well-being of our employees …

Johns Hopkins Medicine Responds To Covid-19: Adjusting Patient- Family- And Staff-Centered Care, Stacy L. C. Colimore, Lisa Allen, Zach Lawrence, Nicole Iarrobino, Sylvia Kavouriou, Adey Betre, Chevaunne Edwards, Amel Elshinawi, Lisa Filbert, Tameka Glenn, Jade Hewitt, Lisa Jibril, Brittney Lawrence, Ariel Mabry, Deborah Miller, Nicole Pritchett, Heather Webb

Patient Experience Journal

The extraordinary impact of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the health care industry included a major, nearly immediate paradigm shift in the visitation policy for Johns Hopkins Medicine. This large health system, comprising six hospitals, a home care group, community physician practices and satellite outpatient sites moved from essentially open visitation to no visitation, creating an entirely new set of needs for our staff, patients and their loved ones. We developed new ways of communicating and connecting staff members, staff and patients, staff and the patient’s loved ones, and patients and their loved ones. Our intent was to …

Positive Patient Experience In Eye Care During Covid-19: A Case From Eye Hospital Sistina Oftalmologija, Vesna Cado

Patient Experience Journal

COVID-19 was a wake-up call, changing the world we know and our experiences in every possible way. Healthcare systems, as the most exposed and stressed in this situation, were called to urgently respond to the new reality. Physical distancing and stay-at-home directives have flattened the curve and decreased the risk of viral transmission but also decreased the clinical volume in eye care medical practice. Hospitals must work hard to find a balance in responding to the pandemic while providing quality care and positive patient experiences. Previous research on crises has been mostly focused on implementing crisis management strategies to handle …

Maintaining A Positive Patient Experience During Covid-19 In A Rehabilitation And Complex Care Setting, Sarah Benn Orava, Kim Cook, Amanda Brown

Patient Experience Journal

West Park Healthcare Centre located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada provides specialized rehabilitative and complex care after a life‐altering illness or injury such as lung disease, amputation, stroke and traumatic musculoskeletal injuries. This narrative showcases the strategies, processes and the lessons learned and subsequently utilized throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to engage patients and their family and peers.

Experience Framework

This article is associated with the Patient, Family & Community Engagement lens of The Beryl Institute Experience Framework. (http://bit.ly/ExperienceFramework)

• Access other PXJ articles related to this lens.
• Access other resources related to this lens.

Out Of Sight, But Not Out Of Mind: Keeping Connections Alive During Covid-19, Katie Braun

Patient Experience Journal

The Veteran Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System (VAPHS) completed over 750,000 outpatient appointments during fiscal year 2019. With changes occurring around COVID-19, VAPHS saw a significant decline in veterans on campus. VAPHS employees are strongly connected to the mission of serving our nation’s hero’s, while veterans find trust, support and comradery at the VA. The VAPHS Office of Veterans Experience (OVE) realized the impact that COVID-19 isolation may have on veterans quarantined at home and seized the opportunity to continue to build relationships, develop trust and keep connected through the VAPHS Birthday Club. Over 1,300 calls have been placed to provide …