How are your patient quality and satisfaction scores at your hospital or medical institution? Chances are there’s room for improvement, so here are a few quality improvement ideas you could discuss at your next management meeting:
- Improve flow and discharge protocols. Many hospitals have people in waiting rooms and hallways waiting for beds to free-up. Consider reevaluating discharge protocols to get patients evaluated and discharged more efficiently.
- Improve patient-hospital communications. Communication breakdowns contribute to diagnosis and treatment errors. Minimize them by thoroughly updating patient charts every time, verbally communicating changes in patient status and treatment to other supporting doctors and nurses (and the patient), and implementing communication systems like having a whiteboard next to each bed to communicate patient daily goals and critical information.
- Standardize pathways and processes: Standardize clinical pathways and processes in your hospital. This may initially sound like extra work, but in the end it contributes to a better overall understanding of the patient and their injury/condition, helping provide a more thorough diagnosis. It will provide consistency in care between shift changes.
A few simple changes can make all the difference in the quality of patient care your institution provides. Whether it’s protocol changes, or simply a more comfortable mattress, every little bit helps the patient and their family get the best, most consistent treatment.
