Transcript Enhancing the Patient Experience through Volunteer Servicesx

ENHANCING THE PATIENT
EXPERIENCE THROUGH
VOLUNTEER SERVICES
Presented By:
Jennifer Thayer, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
OBJECTIVE
Define the Patient Experience
Identify How Patient Satisfaction is Measured
Identify Why Patient Satisfaction is Important
Identify How Volunteers Can Impact Patient
Satisfaction
Identify How to Select and Retain Volunteers That
Will Drive Results
VOLUNTEERS & THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE
What is the Patient Experience?
VOLUNTEERS & THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE
Beryl Institute defines the Patient Experience as
the sum of all interactions, shaped by an
organization’s culture, that influence patient
perceptions across the continuum of care.
VOLUNTEERS & THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE
VOLUNTEERS & THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE
How is Patient Satisfaction Measured?
VOLUNTEERS & THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE
HCAHPS
Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare
Providers and Systems
The intent of HCAHPS is to provide a
standardized survey instrument and data collection
methodology for measuring patients' perspectives
on hospital care.
VOLUNTEERS & THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE
Three broad goals of HCAHPS
VOLUNTEERS & THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE
Produce comparable data on the
patient's perspective on care that
allows objective and meaningful
comparisons between hospitals.
VOLUNTEERS & THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE
Public reporting of the survey
results is designed to create
incentives for hospitals to improve
their quality of care.
VOLUNTEERS & THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE
Public reporting will serve to enhance
public accountability in health care by
increasing the transparency of the
quality of hospital care provided in
return for the public investment.
VOLUNTEERS & THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE
The HCAHPS survey contains 21 patient
perspectives on care and patient rating items
that encompass nine key topics:
communication with doctors, communication with
nurses, responsiveness of hospital staff, pain
management, communication about medicines,
discharge information, cleanliness of the hospital
environment, quietness of the hospital environment, and
transition of care.
VOLUNTEERS & THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE
DISCUSSION?
How do you think your current
volunteers could impact these
perspectives?
VOLUNTEERS & THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE
Communication with doctors
Communication with the nurses
Responsiveness of hospital staff
Pain management
Communication about medications
Cleanliness of hospital
Quietness at night of hospital
VOLUNTEERS & THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE
Why is it important?
VOLUNTEERS & THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE
 In 2013 Hospitals began to face a potential loss of 1% of Medicare
billings from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for low
patient satisfaction survey scores.
 The rate increases each year through 2017
 1.25% in 2014
 1.50% in 2015
 1.75% in 2016
 2.00% in 2017
VOLUNTEERS & THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE
Health Care Reform
VALUE = QUALITY + SERVICE
Focus on outcomes and patient experience will
be important drivers to improvement in patient
safety and quality of care.
VOLUNTEERS & THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE
Volunteers, have a great impact on patient
satisfaction because in many cases, at some point in
their lives, they have also been patients or family
members involved in the care of a loved one. "They
can empathize and understand what a patient may
need in that given moment in a way that a staff
member may not be able to." –Beryl Institute
VOLUNTEERS & THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE
 Make a direct connection between hospital
volunteers and patient experience:
Leaders must understand the positive impact
volunteers have on the patient experience and
their direct impact on patient satisfaction.
 Adapt volunteers' duties according to
organizational needs:
Pressure to improve care while cutting costs "has
enhanced the benefits of using volunteers in
healthcare setting and finding more innovative
and diverse opportunities”.
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 Incorporate volunteers' own experience:
 For volunteers to make a positive difference it is
important that the experience be meaningful for them as
well
 Quantify and measure volunteers' impact:
 Further evidence is needed to determine exactly what
volunteers mean to patient experience,. For example,
organizations can gain a better understanding of the true
value of volunteers by tracking the time volunteers
contribute and the cost associated with volunteer
programs, as well as the impact on patient satisfaction.
Foster relationships within the organization
to enable volunteer programs:
 Relationships between volunteers and both patients
and hospital leaders must be strong enough to build
the necessary trust to bring these results to
fruition.
VOLUNTEERS & THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE
"Valuing volunteers:The impact of volunteerism on
hospital performance."
 2009 Study explored "the impact of the use of volunteers
and the level of professionalism of volunteer programs on
cost effectiveness and patient satisfaction in hospitals."
 By analyzing data from 50 Florida hospitals--the majority
being not-for-profit hospitals--they arrived at a few key
conclusions:
VOLUNTEERS & THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE
Like other studies on the value (cost-benefit) of
hospital volunteers, the financial benefits of having a
volunteer program outweigh the costs.
Utilization of volunteers in patient settings will
greatly impact the patient experience.
Increasing the number of volunteer service
assignments (especially volunteer hours) in patient
settings could raise patient satisfaction scores.
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A well-developed volunteer program--formal
recruitment methods, screening and
interviewing techniques, orientation and
training, policies, service guidelines, and risk
management plans, etc.--will positively impact
the patient experience.
R.B. Hotchkiss and researchers from Georgia
Southern University, 2009
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How to Recruit and Retain Engaged Volunteers
Make sure volunteers are appropriately screened
and apply the same selection criteria as you use when
selecting paid employees.
Should have screening tool, standard interview
questions, reference and background check (where
appropriate).
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Make the onboarding experience
stellar!!!!
New Volunteer Orientation
Provide relevant information
about the organization.
Set expectations, review relevant
policies, provide role specific
training.
VOLUNTEERS & THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE
Ensure Volunteer has resources and
tools to fulfill their role (passwords,
access codes).
Make sure the volunteer feels
welcome. If they are expected to
provide exceptional service, they
should receive it.
VOLUNTEERS & THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE
 Include your volunteers in service standard training
sessions. Not only will this help hardwire the
service standard, it helps reinforce that the
volunteers are valuable members of the team.
 Apply the same standards to volunteers as
employees. They should be expected to provide
excellent service each and every time.
 No “Oh that is just a volunteer!”
VOLUNTEERS & THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE
 DON’T Underestimate the Impact Your Volunteers
Have on the Patient Experience!
 Volunteers usually in first impression areas Information desk, transporting patients, gift shop
 Patients and families do not distinguish between your
volunteers and your employees. Just like your
employees, they are the face of the organization!
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Align the goals of the volunteer program to
the Corporate goals and priorities
Take the time, at least annually, to make
sure that the volunteer program mirrors
the vision and adheres to the values of the
organization.
VOLUNTEERS & THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE
How does your organization measure
volunteer satisfaction?
VOLUNTEERS & THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE
Expand Volunteer Base
Increase marketing to patients and
families to become volunteers.
Engage the media to share the stories of how
your volunteers are making a difference.
Share your stories internally with volunteer
groups and paid staff.
VOLUNTEERS & THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE
Your volunteers should represent your
community-how do you find them?
Tours/Open House
Community Outreach
Holiday Events
Wellness Fairs
Patient Education Workshops
VOLUNTEERS & THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE
VOLUNTEERS & THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE
QUESTIONS?