Over the course of the pandemic, the same alarm sounded over and over again from clinics and hospitals around the United States: Take precautions because we're overloaded and might not be able to help you. It was a rare admission that leaders may not be able to serve and satisfy their customers, and it came under the most trying of circumstances. For organizations that are still struggling with capacity, survey and operational data may be able to lift some of the burden.
The Extent of the Current Crisis
How well hospitals and clinics have weathered the pandemic has waxed and waned over the past year and a half through the waves of the crisis. But in August, several states — Florida, Louisana, Arkansas and Oregon — reported having more people hospitalized with the virus than at any other point in the pandemic. Systems in those regions had to pay nurses more than time and a half or turn to agencies to fill vacancies.
In September, American hospitals resorted to rationing care, with emergency rooms so full that doctors had to seek rooms for patients in other facilities. Rural regions have been hit hardest. Many facilities have been unable to keep many of their staff, who have been lured away with significant perks and signing bonuses — e.g., $40,000 for a 2-year work agreement — by larger hospitals in urban communities.
A Lingering Condition
The COVID-19 pandemic would have strained even the strongest healthcare systems. But many people in the United States have argued for years that the American system is in desperate need of an overhaul. That was the sentiment driving such legislation as the Affordable Care Act, for instance. In fact, 82% of Americans believe the healthcare system should be changed or completely rebuilt. In that context, America has had a customer service problem within healthcare for a long time.
How Combining Survey and Operational Data Can Help
Most clinics and hospitals gather basic operational data, such as time logs from doctors and nurses, or they track the number of people working given shifts. This data can come from payroll or other customer resource management systems. At the same time, like other businesses, many facilities are trying to use surveys or other ways of gathering patient feedback to assess and improve care. Clinic and hospital leaders can use this information together to change operations for the better.
Here's an example of how to use it effectively. Let's say a hospital sees that its net promoter score (NPS) dips in December. It's cold, there's bad traffic and ice on the road — so traffic accidents increase. Survey data trends toward the negative. That can trigger an analysis of operational and CRM data to find the "why" behind the score. Leadership will probably find that the NPS plummeted at the same time the hospital had fewer people available for shifts. As long as the facility can connect to multiple data sources, they can try to find correlations and gain insights that yield a broader picture than the survey information alone. Once they have those insights, they can formulate very precise action plans for how to move forward, such as hiring more staff or purchasing a specific number of medical tools at a specific time of the year.
Relevant operational data is likely to come from the hospital itself and may include metrics derived from nurses' and doctors' timesheets. Using their payroll system, they can document how many people are working how many hours during that particular week. The ability to track concrete operational data — on resource and staff availability, for example — along with patient feedback from surveys, allows for connections between multiple data sources. Efficient businesses must identify such connections to derive actionable insights, and healthcare should aspire to operate in this way.
One Way to Yield Bigger Profits and Better Care
Tapping the power of survey and operational data is a practical way for healthcare providers in the United States to up their game, reduce inefficiencies and become more profitable. If hospitals intend to operate like true businesses, then those improvements are a must. But beyond dollars and cents, because of the nature of the industry, better customer service is protective. Without it, there is a very real risk to patients, especially during what remains of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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