UVM Health Network - Alice Hyde Medical Center amplifies patient voices to improve care quality
Empowering patients to take an active role in their care and provide feedback on their experience ensures providers address what matters to their patients and improves clinical outcomes. The University of Vermont Health Network Alice Hyde Medical Center, a rural Critical Access Hospital, built a Patient Experience Program to foster human connections with patients and the community, and improve care quality and satisfaction.
Alice Hyde’s Patient Experience Program is led by an interdisciplinary team that is able to pool resources from across the hospital. The program’s initiatives keep patients involved in their care and allow them to provide feedback. Communication boards in each patient’s room and the emergency room keep them informed on their care progress and next steps, adding transparency and making it easy for staff to address patient needs quickly. Patient experience telephone lines are also available should they need to communicate a need or a struggle they’re having.
Rounding is another key part of the program. Leadership rounding focuses on each patient and their current needs. Patient feedback is brought directly to staff so it can be addressed immediately. An interdisciplinary hospital team conducts daily patient progressive rounds during which they discuss each patient and their needs for that day. These conversations help staff identify supportive care needs, such as respiratory, physical therapy or nutritional requests, which can be missed by only reviewing clinical charts.
The program also helps improve staff engagement. Based on leadership rounding feedback, patient experience champions are named monthly and entered into a drawing to receive a premium parking space. Additionally, a “traveling trophy” is awarded to the department with the most improved top box score. Continuing education and positive feedback are consistently provided to staff, and challenges are noted and tracked.
The program has dramatically improved patient and staff satisfaction. The facility’s “likelihood to recommend” score has increased by three to five points in each area. The team’s newly created patient and family advisory committee has strengthened Alice Hyde’s relationship with the community, fostering two-way dialogue.
For more information, contact Jessica Patterson, RN, BSN, director, patient experience and Quality, at 518.481.2399 or jpatterson2@alicehyde.com.
