Making the Case for Quality Doctors, Nurses Overcome Workplace Hierarchies to Improve Patient Experience Scores in Phoenix ER • A vision team composed of Banner Health physicians in Arizona was tasked with studying how staff could improve patient experience scores while also reducing litigation risks. • Using the define, measure, analyze, improve, and control (DMAIC) approach and Pareto analysis of patient experience data, team leaders learned that some patients were unhappy with what they perceived to be a lack of communication between clinicians. • The vision team instituted a number of process improvements to please patients, including an on-demand survey program to capture patient concerns before discharge. • Patients are now 89 percent less likely to file a complaint when a physician or nurse addresses any concerns prior to discharge. At a Glance . . . Doctors and nurses have worked together for centuries, saving and prolonging countless lives in health- care facilities around the world. And as in so many other professions featuring rich and deep-rooted histories, hierarchies created long ago have been assumed by modern-day caregivers. So it was no surprise when emergency medicine leaders in Phoenix, AZ, initially struggled in trying to improve their medical facility’s patient experience scores. But by focusing on the heart of the matter, and successfully selling a culture of quality to staff, they helped employees overcome social norms to achieve success for the organization and, most importantly, the patient. About Banner Health and the Emergency Physician Insurance Program Banner Health, a nonprofit healthcare provider, encompasses 24 acute-care hospitals and healthcare facilities in seven states (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada, and Wyoming) while employing more than 36,000 individuals. Located in Phoenix, Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center is a Level One trauma hospital that provides services to more than 60,000 patients annually. The Emergency Physician Insurance Program (EPIP) is a partnership between Banner Health, Emergency Professional Services, North Valley Emergency Services, and Progressive Medical Associates. EPIP, established in 2003, addresses challenges involving malpractice cov- erage, while reducing the cost of malpractice coverage and overall risk found in five Banner Health emergency departments. Reducing the Risk of Litigation Understanding the importance of positive patient experiences, EPIP created staff leadership groups, or vision teams, that sought to achieve better patient interactions, communications, and outcomes while also decreasing risk of malpractice. In 2010, EPIP enlisted the help of Diane Rogers, an Arizona- based quality consultant who owns Contagious Change, LLC, to help develop a long-term quality improvement plan that included increasing patient experience scores within emergency departments. by Adam Wise October 2013 ASQ www.asq.or g Page 1 of 6 Gretchen Dallman, nurse manager, Banner Good Samaritan emergency department.
