Domain IV: Strategy Development and Execution (Bullet 1)

Domain IV: Strategy Development and Execution (Bullet 1)

Domain IV: Strategy Development and Execution (Bullet 1): Apply key elements for effectively and successfully implementing and advancing patient experience and service excellence initiatives. Strong and visible leadership that not only is committed to the patient experience but also is able to instill that commitment in the rest of the organization. There are typically two strong leaders involved in the process -- a managing director or CEO who sets the vision and a head of nursing who helps execute the strategy. A clear mission, vision, and values and a set of behavior standards that capture the intent of the organization and create accountability for service among staff members. These are not simply words on a page. Rather, hospitals must reinforce these beliefs and behaviors at orientation, staff meetings, and daily huddles. Ideally, facilities use real patient examples to ensure that the mission, vision, and standards resonate throughout the hospital. Consistency across all messages so that managers and staff see the patient experience as a strategic objective that is as important as other financial and clinical outcomes. It's essential that healthcare systems consistently communicate what constitutes the proper patient experience not only in the strategic plan but also in job descriptions and performance evaluations. Buy-in from key constituencies, including physicians and the broader patient community. Negative relationships with either group can adversely affect a healthcare system's change effort. Physicians are particularly sensitive when they don't feel they have been involved in a significant directional shift. The general public -- which includes past patients and their families as well as potential patients -- also can form perceptions about a healthcare system's brand based on their or others' previous experiences. So hospitals must be deliberate in their messaging to overcome any lingering problems. A family atmosphere that cuts across unit and departmental lines in every hospital. Creating this type of environment starts by recruiting and hiring people who fit the kind of culture that provides the best possible patient experience. Leaders and managers must make a point of stressing the sense of family and unity from orientation forward. The facility should instill a sense of common purpose in employees to the point where they start holding each other accountable. A defined performance improvement approach that goes beyond service recovery. Service recovery can add to patients' perceptions, but the organization must take proactive measures to identify and address ongoing problems, particularly those that extend beyond the unit level. Healthcare systems often create so many special teams and committees that each group's responsibilities and role are not clear. The best performance improvement teams have a defined mandate or charter and clear communication channels, and they provide constant communication on their progress to others. A proficiency in baseline tactics such as rounding, using whiteboards for pain management, and establishing "no pass zones." Gallup finds these efforts necessary but not sufficient for improving the patient experience. For example, rounding can be even more effective when the information is trended and used as a performance improvement tool. Hospitals also can take a more comprehensive approach to discharge planning. Facilities can focus on process or discharge materials, for example, without factoring in elements such as wait time or the attention staff members pay to the patients between the time they are told they are discharged and the time they actually get to leave the hospital. Taken from recommended resource http://www.gallup.com/businessjournal/156701/why-hospitals-don-deliver-great-service.aspx