Customer Experience Flashcards
Hospitals provide medical care regardless of these considerations.
Race, creed, color, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, age, and ability to pay.
What patient needs must employees recognize and how should they respond to them?
Emotional and spiritual needs; refer the patient to the appropriate staff to assist (usually healthcare provider or pastoral care).
How should Access respond to patient questions?
Answer only those related to job function; refer to appropriate staff for remaining concerns.
What types of questions might Access ask patients?
Name and Contact Information
Primary/Speciality Providers’ Names and Contact Information
Insurance Information
Medical Problem/Procedure
Prep Information Provided by Physician/Department
Last Visit Information
Financial Responsibility (Deductible, Co-Pays)
Special Needs According to ADA Guidelines
Language Barriers
How can personnel assist patients in determining how accounts are to be paid?
Coordinating benefits with payers, point of service payments, payment arrangements, and/or charity care.
What should Medicare- or Medicaid-enrolled patients present at registration, and where can the information be obtained otherwise?
Current identification card; Medicare/Medicaid website
What if patient is not enrolled in Medicare/Medicaid but believes they might be eligible?
Hospital personnel should refer patient as appropriate to state officials for eligibility.
What understanding should patients demonstrate?
Understanding of co-payments, deductibles, other financial issues, and how to get additional information if required.
What is a good source of information on determining special needs such as private rooms, specific bed types, or other clinical indications?
The Physician Order
What provision requires hospitals to communicate effectively with patients, family members, and visitors who are hard of hearing, and to take reasonable steps to provide meaningful access to persons with limited English proficiency (LEP)?
Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
How must Access staff assist with communication as point of first contact?
Identify communication barriers for patients, family members, and visitors; identify/utilize resources to eliminate communication barriers; document patient’s preferred language in registration system.
What requirements does eliminating communication barriers help to meet?
Meaningful Use
How can Access verify the patient understands the information given?
Ask Confirming Questions (“Does what I’ve said make sense to you?”)
Ask Patient to Repeat in Own Words
What might patients do despite not understanding information?
Nod in agreement, say they understand.
How can Access encourage a patient-centered interview that promotes patient communication?
By taking pacing and timing cues from the patient.
What accommodations can preserve the safety, dignity, and comfort of larger patients and visitors?
Special beds and waiting room chairs, large wheelchairs. (Staff should be educated on back safety to prevent injury when assisting.)
What are impressions about a facility’s service levels the result of?
Staff Behavior and Attitude
Who are customers of Patient Access?
Patients, physicians, physicians’ office staff, internal departments and employees, visitors, clergy, third party payers, and suppliers
What traditional concerns are factors related to customer satisfaction?
Waits and delays in service, proper room and food temperature, noise levels, pleasant smiles
How are patients becoming active consumers of healthcare?
By becoming active participants not only in clinical decisions but also financial decisions related to their own healthcare.
What must Patient Access be able to demonstrate and communicate to the patient in addition to the ability to provide timely and accurate registration services?
A high level of understanding about third-party payer requirements, out-of-pocket expenses, financial assistance programs, and government regulations and guidelines.
When must the same customer service standards be met as in in-person interviews?
In interviews conducted over the telephone.
Patients expect Patient Access Associates to:
Be technically competent; show compassion; keep them and families/friends informed; be sensitive to inconvenience and stress; protect privacy; anticipate individual needs and respond accordingly; use terms and language they can understand; be an informative, sole resource; know the organization’s values; make a personal connection; show enthusiasm; practice AIDET
What is AIDET?
Acknowledge, Introduce, Duration, Explanation and Thanks
What is as significant as competence in creating a positive healthcare experience?
Compassion
What specific behaviors can demonstrate compassion and show the patient genuine care and concern?
Smiling, making eye contact
How should patients be addressed?
Access should ask the patient their preferred way to be addressed. Slang terms such as “honey” and “sweetie” are not appropriate and demean the patient.
What additional behaviors positively impact the experience of the customers?
Allowing patients/visitors to step off of elevators before entering; escorting rather than pointing the way, anticipating customer needs
What shared goal do all departments and employees have?
A positive patient experience.
How can staff members be a successful member of the patient care team?
Demonstrate creativity and flexibility and accept responsibility for problem identification and resolution.
There are two methods for obtaining customer feedback: _______ and _______.
Active and Passive
Actively soliciting customer feedback can be done by:
Customer surveys, customer comment cards, customer callback programs
Passively soliciting customer feedback can be done by:
Reviewing letters from patients and families, conversations with patients and families
When does active customer feedback occur?
When the provider requests information from the patient
What is passive customer feedback?
The formal and informal process of obtaining and responding to patient complaints and concerns.
What opportunity does positive feedback provide?
The opportunity to practice positive employee engagement and gain market share (customers).
What opportunity does negative feedback provide?
The opportunity to apply quality improvement principles within the organization and to respond to the feedback with a service recovery effort, as well as develop action plans to address issues.
What is the best method to actively find out if customer is satisfied?
Patient satisfaction surveys (written or verbal).
What is more important than the questions, timing, or frequency of patient surveys?
How the information gathered is used.
When should the patient satisfaction survey be conducted?
Soon after the healthcare encounter, when the experience is fresh in the patient’s mind.
