New York Hospital Uses AHRQ Resources to Improve Patients' Experience of Care

Adoption of AHRQ's TeamSTEPPS® patient safety training program at the 233-bed Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco, New York, has enhanced communication and teamwork among clinical teams and improved patients' experience of care. Patient views were measured by AHRQ's Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Survey  (HCAHPS®).

Maria Hale, M.B.A., the hospital's vice president of patient and family advocacy, said the hospital has conducted the HCAHPS survey since 2006. It's been a "highly useful" tool, she said, to gauge how well the hospital is meeting patients' expectations about their care.

Ms. Hale emphasized the importance of effective communication among patients and medical and nursing staff—a major focus of the HCAHPS survey. "Mutual dialogue allows the health care team to identify gaps, barriers, or concerns from the patient and family caregiver perspectives," she said. Hospital staff can then address those issues before they leave.

"HCAHPS helps us measure the clarity of our communication with patients and their supportive family network. We want our patients to understand our answers to their typical questions, such as ‘What's going to happen next?' It's critically important that we prepare them for the next level of their transition," Ms. Hale said.

As of June 2014, HCAHPS survey scores on patient care at the hospital improved in these areas:

• 6.1 percent increase in patients who reported their nurses always communicated well.
• 2.4 percent increase in patients reporting their physician always communicated well.
• 5.8 percent increase in patients who reported staff always explained new medicines.
• 4.3 percent increase in patients reporting they received information about what to do during their recovery at home.

All Northern Westchester staff responsible for educating patients in both inpatient and outpatient services must complete training in TeamSTEPPS. The program, developed by AHRQ and the Department of Defense, trains health care professionals to communicate effectively and use teamwork skills to prevent medical errors and patient harm.

Ms. Hale said the TeamSTEPPS teach-back method "is so important in all aspects of patient education. This is not a test of the patient, but an evaluation of how well we listen to the patient and family, meeting them where they are, and ensuring our information is clear, concise—and, most importantly—attainable and sustainable for the patient."