We’re on a mission to make patient and family-centered care even better! To do that, we’re working on some concrete benchmarks for evaluation. These aren’t just subjective or abstract assessments of patient experience. They’re actually tangible indicators like the need for specific training or the creation of procedural and policy frameworks.
What about conventional patient satisfaction surveys?
For years, conventional methods like patient satisfaction surveys have been used to gauge patient experience. These surveys ask patients about their experiences with healthcare practitioners, the quality of hospital food, and other things. But the reports don’t often include new ideas for improvement. They usually say that patients are happy with doctors, nurses, and hospital food, but there’s still room for improvement. Also, the reports don’t change much over time, even when changes are made.
We all want to provide the best care for our patients, and we know that sometimes it can be hard to know exactly what that looks like. That’s why we developed key performance targets (KPTs) or metrics.
Why are KPTs so important for patient and family-centered care?
We believe that by setting concrete KPTs for Patient and Family-Centered Care (PFCC), we can make real, meaningful improvements in our patients’ experiences.
In recent years, we’ve had the pleasure of working with a number of healthcare entities, including hospitals, research institutes, and community care organizations. They’ve all been eager to ensure that their strategies, policies, and services align with patient and family-centered principles.
Our observations have revealed instances where plans lacked meaningful input from patients and families. This has resulted in noticeable gaps or oversights. For instance, one hospital crafted a patient-centered charter that didn’t mention the roles of families or caregivers.
The rationale behind patient and family-centered care KPTs
We’re so grateful to have had the chance to hear from over 5,000 patients and family caregivers within our extensive network. Their stories, shared through platforms like the Patients’ Choice Awards and various forums, have been a real inspiration for us. They’ve helped us identify some really practical ways to make a positive difference to the experiences of patients and their families.
Project methodology, our expert panel
We has assembled a panel comprising individuals with diverse experiences, including:
- Adolescents with a history of prolonged intensive interventions
- Parents of children with chronic ailments
- Adult children of elderly parents requiring ongoing care
- Patients who have grappled with severe medical conditions
Our process is really quite simple!
The panel takes a close look at specific healthcare scenarios. They break each encounter down to identify areas of commendation or potential improvement. Then, the group decides if it’s possible to implement and measure the impact of processes, policies, or training initiatives that would enhance patient experiences.