OR Manager - November 2018 - 31

AMBULATORY
SURGERY CENTERS
Continued from page 29
Setting expectations and
making improvements
Ann Shimek,
MSN, BSN,
RN, CASC
Nine out of the 37 required
OAS CAHPS
questions are based on
what happens before
the patient even arrives
at the ASC. Many of
these experiences occur
in the surgeon's office,
which is why it's important
to
get physicians
engaged, says Shimek.
Physicians tend to be driven by data,
so once survey results are received,
they can be shown to surgeons to help
them understand the importance of
OAS CAHPS.
The preadmission phone call is an
invaluable step ASCs can take between
the surgeon's office and the day of the
procedure. This helps set patients' expectations
of the upcoming experience
and notification of the survey. However,
although patients can and should be
informed about the survey, there are
do's and don'ts of how they should be
informed, Shimek says. For example,
coaching on how to answer questions is
not allowed (sidebar above).
Educating ASC staff, physicians, and
board members about the survey is
important for achieving good scores.
Shimek recommends reviewing the survey
questions with staff and discussing
responses indicating high satisfaction
as well as areas where improvements
are needed.
" Traditional ASC survey results
have been reported using a Net Promoter
Score based on percentage of
responses. The OAS CAHPS calculation
process uses the percentile methodology,
which is typically a lower number, "
George explains.
" It is important for leaders to understand
this because it can be confusing
at first. It is equally important for them
to evaluate their performance in the various
composite categories and focus on
www.ormanager.com
What to tell patients about OAS CAHPS
It is important to avoid influencing
patient responses to the Consumer
Assessment of Healthcare Providers
and Systems Outpatient and Ambulatory
Surgery Survey (OAS CAHPS)
survey. Any information or communication
about the survey from hospital
outpatient departments (HOPDs) and
ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) may
introduce bias to the survey.
It is acceptable for HOPDs and ASCs
to inform patients that they may be
asked to respond to a patient experience
survey. This information can be
provided in writing or verbally with discharge
instructions or with paperwork
provided to the patient in advance of
the surgery or procedure. Information
to patients about the survey can include
the following messaging:
➤ The HOPD/ASC is participating in the
survey to learn more about the quality
strategies to improve the patient's experience
in those key areas, " she adds.
Early adopters have more time to
improve performance, overcome staff
doubts about the survey, convince physicians
of its importance, and refine
messaging to patients about the survey,
say Shimek and George.
Two of the lowest rated areas in
surveys from UPSI's facilities were the
receptionists and the lobby, Shimek
says. The lobby was criticized for being
messy, and the receptionists for being
rude. Those problems were easy to fix.
" We started having someone from the
business department go through the
waiting room, " she says. " Little things
make a big difference. "
Other areas frequently cited for improvement
in OAS CASHPS are wait
times, delays, and pain control. " If a
surgeon is late, we apologize but tell
patients that the good news is the excellent
care they will receive once the
surgeon arrives, " Shimek says.
of healthcare that patients receive.
➤ Patients may be selected to participate
in a survey about their experience
at the HOPD/ASC.
➤ Indicate the mode of the survey that
the patient should anticipate receiving
(telephone or mail).
It is not acceptable for HOPDs or ASCs to
do any of the following:
➤ Provide a copy of the OAS CAHPS
questionnaire or cover letters to the
patients.
➤ Ask any OAS CAHPS or similar
questions of patients prior to administration
of the survey or after
discharge.
➤ Include words or phrases verbatim
from OAS CAHPS in marketing or
promotional materials.
Source: Outpatient and Ambulatory Surgery
CAHPS® Survey, Protocols and Guidelines Manual.
Studies show that 12 minutes is
about as long as a patient wants to
wait before some type of staff interaction.
" We do a lot of patient rounding
and make sure there is a staff interaction
with a patient every 10 minutes, "
George says. " We also frequently update
families about what is happening. "
Once OAS CAHPS is mandatory,
ASCs will be able to do an apples-to-apples
comparison of performance within
their own ranks, rather than HOPDs,
says Shimek. ✥
Janet M. Boivin, BSN, BSJ, RN, is a
freelance health writer/editor in the
Boston area.
References
https://oascahps.org/General-Information/About-OAS-CAHPS-Survey.
Shimek
A, George M. What You Need
to Know Now About the OAS CAHPS
Survey. ASCA 2018.
OR Manager | November 2018 31
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