Background: Harborview Medical Center (Seattle, Wash) has collected patient data on operations since 1988 and has participated in the University HealthSystem Consortium's (UHC; Oak Brook, III) patient satisfaction measurement program since 1996. The patient feedback program is intended to provide data suitable for the quality improvement process and benchmark Harborview's performance against that of other academic medical centers (AMCs).
Use of patient feedback at harborview: The Picker Institute Adult Inpatient survey's seven dimensions of care are used to disseminate the patient data and focus the action plans. The areas with the largest problem scores and the highest correlation with overall satisfaction are identified, and then specific actions are devised to address those areas. For example, patient satisfaction data collected in May 1997 led the quality council to highlight information and education as an area for improvement for both inpatients and outpatients. Patients reported that they often got answers they could not understand. Also, they did not always get enough information at discharge to feel comfortable about going home. A Discharge/Transition Center CQI (continuous quality improvement) team was charged with developing a discharge/transition process that ensures continuity of care for patients as they move throughout the system. In addition, a hospitalwide Patient and Family Information team has been working on improving information delivery by developing both patient-friendly processes and useful educational materials.
Future directions: Harborview will continue to gather feedback through not only more targeted, specific surveys but also focus groups, which have been conducted around specific issues such as diabetes care, clinical pathways, pain management, and teen health.