How To Improve HCAHPS : Internal Communication and Employee Awareness

Strategy to Improve HCAHPS Scores Starts With Effective Communication and Employee Awareness.

Since the inception of HCAHPS in 2008 patient care and competition in the healthcare industry has never been more important or measured. From improved patient care to hospital incentives and competitive positioning, the importance of high HCAHPS scores is as crucial as ever.

While a strong focus on proper care and effective communication with patients is being placed with HCAHPS patient surveys internal focus needs to also be placed on how HCAHPS importance is being communicated internally with hospital staff.

The reality is that without complete awareness and a willingness from all staff to focus on patient care satisfaction high HCAHPS scores would only be achieved accidentally.

The first step in improving HCAHPS scores (and these are really HCAHPS basics) is creating a hospital wide and complete understanding of what exactly is being measured by patients. Using internal communication to create hospital employee awareness of how every hospital team member plays a crucial role in HCAHPS scoring is paramount.

To create that awareness and ultimately create position specific accountability requires a communication strategy that not only provides hospital staff sufficient comprehension of how hospitals are being measured but also creates a culture of individual responsibility to do their part in creating the ideal patient experience.

The second step in improving HCAHPS scores is incorporating an effective and efficient vehicle for hospital communication. An internal communication plan to improve HCAHPS scores needs to be able to get the word out as well as measure hospital employee’s level of understanding of the HCAHPS process, impact and their role. Regular circulation of HCAHPS 101 to hospital staff is crucial so the process of dissemination has to be one that is easily executed by administrators, management, executives or IT Staff.

Like with any other internal communication vehicle there are flaws. From the employee who may not have received the information to the employee who is not be available when material needs to be reviewed and the employee who simply just not understand the importance ... Any vehicle for hospital communication needs to have measurement of readership and acknowledgement functionality as well as the capacity to measure employee understanding of all internal initiatives or policies regarding patient care and HCAHPS.

In addition to broadcasting “What you need to know about HCAHPS” a tool for measuring a hospitals employee’s level of understanding of HCAHPS is crucial. Regular testing and discovery of knowledge gaps is a valuable tool to improve HCAHPS scores at any position in any hospital.

When the conversation begins regarding how to raise low HCAHPS scores the most common questions have to be:

• Are hospital employees aware of the importance of HCAHPS and its impact?

• Are hospital employees aware of their specific role in improving HCAHPS scoring and the patient experience?

• How do we know that we are creating the necessary employee awareness of HCAHPS?

• How do we know the hospital staff actually understands the HCAHPS process and their level or responsibility?

• What is the cost and organizational impact of low HCAHPS scores?

Depending on the importance placed on internal communication will ultimately determine the answers to every one of those questions.

SO … WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO COMMUNICATE THE IMPORTANCE OF HCAHPS AND ULTIMATELY RAISE LOW SCORES?