SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --
Hospitals aim to provide great service to patients, from a friendly greeting at the check-in counter, to the technician taking patient information and vitals, to having a doctor listen to their complaints and doing what they can to improve their health.
To improve patient care and provide them outstanding service, the Scott Family Health Clinic created the Mystery Patient Program in May 2013. The program is designed to monitor the 375th Medical Group's performance in key areas affecting customer service, patient safety and quality of care.
"We want to take care of you, so you can make the right decisions when it comes to your health," said Col. Bret Burton, 375th Medical Group commander. "We aim to treat our patients like they are family members."
As a part of the program, the clinic randomly selects patients in the facility to secretly "grade" its performance. Some of the key items patients judge include: whether their appointment staff was courteous, if they were asked for their identification card at the check-in desk, if the medical staff asked about current medications, and if the physician addressed preventative medicine topics during the visit.
"Any way we can solicit feedback from our patients will make us a better health care delivery organization," Burton said. "When our patients quit telling us how we can make things better is when we will cease to be their choice for health care, and will be the day we are not giving the highest quality care available to them."
This year, patient engagement has been added to the program. Every three months, volunteers in the program meet with the 375th MDG commander to discuss any issues they have come across or things they think should be improved. During the latest feedback session, the medical staff learned about ways they could make communication better between doctor and patient, and the patients provided insight on what characteristics they look for in their providers, including being a good listener, not rushing the patients during appointments, and making them feel like they are part of the decision-making process.
"Patient engagement is a critical cornerstone of patient safety and quality," said Sean Saunders, 375th MDG patient advocate. "We look for opportunities to improve the patient experience. Whether it be customer service or process improvement, we look for ways to foster a ready, healthy community."
When leadership receives information from their patients about the current climate of the clinic, Burton and his team address those issues with their staff, so they can make adjustments to the way things are handled.
Burton said, "When I have commanders calls, I share this information with the medics. That allows the providers, nurses and technicians the 'ah-ha' moment. This allows feedback and crosstalk, so that people can, at the grassroots level, interact more on behalf of the patient."
Any beneficiary who is seen at the clinic can participate in this program. Patients can get the Mystery Patient survey from any of the feedback boxes located throughout the clinic, or they can see the patient advocate.
For more information, or if you are interested in becoming a Mystery Patient, contact the MDG patient advocate at 256-7374 or 375mdg.quality@us.af.mil.