Understanding patient-centered care
Patient-centered care is all about making sure that patients feel heard and respected during their medical treatments. When patients share their experiences, it helps health care providers understand how well they are meeting the patients’ needs and preferences.
One important tool for getting this feedback is called the HCAHPS survey, which is used for those who have stayed in a hospital. It helps hospitals know what patients think about their care. Another similar survey is called the MPCAHPS. This one is for patients who visit clinics or doctors’ offices instead of staying in a hospital.
At UAB Medicine, we really care about how our patients feel about their care. That’s why we regularly check the results from these surveys to see how we are doing. UAB Medicine was the first in Alabama to begin sharing our patient satisfaction scores online back in 2016. You can find these scores in the “Find a Provider” section of our website.
By looking at the information from these surveys, UAB Medicine works hard to improve and give every patient the best care possible. We want to help everyone make informed choices when it comes to their health care.
We pay close attention to our highest ratings, like when someone says that we did things “Always” or when they rank our services at 9 or 10 out of 10. This helps us know what we’re really good at and what we need to work on.
Here are some important things we’re doing to make patient care better:
- Senior leader rounding: This is when our top leaders visit patients and staff to hear their thoughts. They want to know what we’re doing great and where we can improve. We even have an app that helps them record this feedback quickly, so we can make changes faster.
- Patient and Family Advisory Council: This council is made up of current and former patients. Members meet each month to talk about ideas for making our care even better. Their feedback is very important to us.
By listening to our patients and acting on their suggestions, we aim to create a better health care experience for everyone by making sure our clinics are friendly and welcoming for patients. To help us achieve this, we send out 12 different kinds of surveys to gather feedback from patients after visits. These surveys ask about many aspects of their care and how happy they are with it. We use the feedback to make improvements, create training for our staff, and decide what areas need the most attention.
Listening to our patients and staff is very important for planning our future goals. UAB Medicine even has a special team called the Office of Patient Experience that focuses on sharing the feedback we receive from patients. This helps us provide the best care possible.
UAB Clinical Simulation
UAB Clinical Simulation offers opportunities for individuals and teams across UAB Medicine and beyond to practice before they deliver care. Simulation puts patients first by ensuring that those who care for them have necessary individual skills and teamwork actions hardwired. Practice in the simulated setting provides opportunities for coaching, reflection, and improvement. UAB Clinical Simulation encourages all who deliver or support patient care to “sim first.”
Housed in UAB Hospital, UAB Clinical Simulation provides learners with a dedicated, safe environment in which they can practice navigating complex situations, thereby reducing errors and enhancing patient safety. Further, as part of the Alabama Rural Health Collaborative, Clinical Simulation’s Mobile Simulation program supports the educational objectives of rural partner institutions throughout Alabama.
Helping patients and learning together
At UAB Medicine, we want our patients to have the very best health care possible. Our goal is to make sure that patients and their families have a great experience when they come to us.
We are known across the country for being leaders in quality and safety. In 2013, UAB Medicine started an amazing program called the Quality Academy. This program teaches our health care leaders – including doctors, nurses, and staff – how to make patient care even better. So far, over 500 health care leaders and more than 2,000 residents and others have gone through this program. Many have also earned a master’s degree in quality improvement and patient safety.
While learning, our staff continue to care for patients and their families, using their new skills to help everyone have a healthier and safer experience.