In early 2023, Kaiser Permanente Sacramento Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) faced significant challenges in patient satisfaction, ranking 27th out of 29 Kaiser facilities with a care experience score of 71.6%, well below the group average of 79.9%. Identifying issues with discharge instructions, the unit’s Care Experience Committee, a clinical nurse led group, and the leadership team revised their process and workflow in providing discharge instructions, which earned the center the 2024 Outpatient Surgery Magazine OR Excellence Award for Patient Satisfaction and Experience.
The ASC team found in their gap analysis from patient feedback that unclear recovery instructions and the absence of family members during discharge teaching contributed to low patient satisfaction scores. Patients often struggled to retain or process information while recovering from anesthesia. Not only does this impact patient satisfaction, but it can also negatively affect patient compliance and safety during recovery. In response, the center implemented a quality improvement plan, including:
- Delivering recovery instructions pre-operatively before sedation.
- Using “recovery” instead of “discharge” to clarify expectations.
- Enhancing materials with bold “Recovery and Home Care Instructions” labels.
The initiative also emphasized staff training in patient-centered care, caring moments, and nurse-patient communication strategies and launched recognition programs to reward and promote excellence in patient-centric care.
By January 2024, the care experience top box score rose to 86.9%, a 15% increase, surpassing the original 10% improvement goal. Scores continued climbing, reaching a record 92.5% in February 2024. “We’re proud of the progress, but our mission to improve never ends,” said Erica Osborne, BSN, RN, Nurse Manager. “Providing the best possible care experience remains our top priority.”
(Excerpts from Outpatient Surgery Magazine)