ALLIANCE Member Case Histories

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Bringing About Internal Organizational Change though the Use of Pubic Satisfaction Data

Member: John D. Lipson MD

Client: A community hospital

Challenge: The hospital participated in a nationwide patient satisfaction study which showed that one physician-managed department was poorly perceived by the public in terms of service and compassion. The hospital administration was concerned because the physicians did not believe or act upon the findings. The Board of Directors was concerned about the number of patient complaints.

Strategy: Over a four month period, interviews were conducted with the physician leadership, many of the physicians, the administration and the Board of Directors. Data from the patient satisfaction studies was reorganized into a more a readable and understandable format. Presentation data was prepared in a chronological format to show trending over time.

A retreat was then held to present the information. This was combined with a two day workshop to bring about organizational change.

Results:

• The physician leaders of the hospital understood the importance of patient satisfaction and made patient satisfaction information an integral part of the quality assurance process.
• The physician leaders in the department understood the need to become more patient focused including replacing physicians who could not adapt to the changing environment.
• The administrator and physicians developed a new and more constructive dialog.
• The Board of Directors was pleased with the decreased number of patient complaints and the increasingly positive patient satisfaction studies.