Non-patient tasks are overburdening many nurses, yet nurses play a tremendous role in patient satisfaction. Discover how freeing up nurses can improve your hospital’s HCAHPS scores and increase revenue.
The Impact HCAHPS Scores Have on the Bottom Line
It is no secret that in today’s health care environment, HCAHPS scores are the name of the game. The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey factors heavily in the new era of value-based care and reimbursement. Consistently high HCAHPS scores are vital to maximizing compensation in the face of tightening reimbursements from both government and commercial payers.
But, perhaps even more critical, impressive HCAHPS scores attract and retain the new breed of patient-as-consumer. Patients today are data-savvy, looking for HCAHPS scores and other objective metrics for proof of performance—and they’re quick to switch allegiances. The value of higher HCAHPS scores isn’t just conceptual. Press Ganey reports that a hospital with $120 million in annual revenue could realize an additional $2-$5 million in revenue annually by improving patient satisfaction.
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| *Source: Press Ganey |
Hospitals are looking for new ways to improve patient experiences and increase patient satisfaction. And, not surprisingly, hospitals are relying heavily on their nursing staff. Nurses play a more critical role than ever in modern patient care. Nurse responsibilities have rapidly broadened to include things traditionally handled by physicians, pharmacists and technology specialists. Nurses not only play a critical role in patient outcomes—they have an immense influence on patient experience and satisfaction. And as discussed in this American Nurse Today article, “Adequate nurse staffing is key to a range of outcomes, but changing staffing volume alone won’t produce optimal outcomes. Multiple aspects of structure and process also shape outcomes.”
Nurses are Forced to Focus on Non-Core Tasks, Taking Time Away from the Bedside
Today, nurses are being stretched too thin. They’re overworked and often under-staffed — doing jobs and tasks that have little to do with the profession they love and were hired to do. Non-patient-care responsibilities are frequently pulling nurses away from the bedside. And only 1 in 3 nurses say they have enough time to focus on their patients. Nurses are the core of your care team. The face of your hospital. And they’re burning out.
Leading hospitals know that addressing the nurse burnout issue is hugely important to improving patient outcomes, patient satisfaction, and HCAHPS scores. Many of these hospitals are taking steps to improve day-to-day nursing workflows to eliminate non-value-added tasks and reduce nurse burdens. These strategies have increased the time that the nursing staff had to spend with their patients and helped foster a culture focused on patient engagement – ensuring their patients leave happy and keep coming back when additional care is needed.
Read the e-book, “Optimize HCAHPS Scores: Free Nurses to Spend More Time at the Bedside” to learn about 5 new ideas that you can use to improve nurse workflows and drive higher patient satisfaction at your hospital.
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