When was the last time your medical facility sat down and had an open, honest discussion about hospital room service? While it may not seem like a big deal, it’s these type of factors that greatly contribute to overall patient satisfaction. Although technology such as food service software continues to debut on the market, not everyone is taking advantage of it.
Now, a new study is raising red flags about how much hospitals and other medical care facilities really care about their patients. Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health conducted a study that compared hospital CEOs’ salaries with patient satisfaction scores. They found that advanced technology had direct ties to overall patient satisfaction, but this didn’t keep them coming back to the same venues for care.
The rate at which hospital beds were occupied was not related to CEOs’ pay, nor was the mortality rate. This came as a disappointing surprise to the researchers of the study.
“If you’re going to ask doctors and nurses to be accountable, if you’re going to ask patients to be accountable … then I think we should make sure that everybody’s in, and that senior managers of hospitals also have a stake in insuring high-quality care,” Ashish Jha, M.D., who helped conduct the study, told Reuters Health.
The experts who carried out the study hope that this motivates hospital boards to rethink how they pay their CEOs. It may also encourage more facilities to create programs to closely monitor patient satisfaction in the future.
Patient satisfaction strategies
There are several ways that individuals can ensure that patients are not only satisfied, but happy enough to return to a facility after they’ve received care. One tactic is to maintain close communication with people during their stays. Keeping patients in the loop can boost their overall satisfaction with a medical venue.
Additionally, hospital staff members should always make it a point to be upfront and honest with patients, according to Physician’s Practice. This is something that patients will appreciate and keep in mind in the future when they seek additional care.
While there’s no rule that says patient satisfaction needs to align properly with CEO salaries, it’s worth noting that long-term success can be based on these type of factors. By taking some of these tips into consideration, medical facilities can remain competitive in the industry for years to come.