Show off patient satisfaction scores to drive business

The industry's increased focus on patient satisfaction will not only help hospitals avoid reimbursement penalties; it also could help them attract patients.

Displaying patient satisfaction scores and quality rankings from third-party, objective sources can influence patients to seek treatment at that facility, according to a Business2Community commentary.

If hospitals have high scores, how can they flaunt them? A hospital website, Facebook page or Twitter feed are all good platforms to tell patients about objective satisfaction ratings, the author writes.

For example, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles dedicates part of its website to promote its high quality rankings from organizations including The Joint Commission and The Leap Frog Group. The nonprofit hospital builds trust with patients by validating its promises of excellence with unbiased proof.

Hospitals also should take note of Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, which shows off its local, regional and national healthcare quality awards.

Don't forget about social media, the author adds, since it allows hospitals to share news of an award quickly.  

Showing patients high ratings will reinforce a hospital's reputation as the best place to receive care among existing patients, as well attract new ones, the author writes.

But before hospitals can start showing off high scores, they must first make their patients happy. Some hospitals are making a 30-minute pledge in emergency room wait times to enhance patient satisfaction with more timely care, while others found that training all new hires in customer service helped boost patient satisfaction scores.

To learn more:
- read the Business2Community article
- check out the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center website
- visit Abbott Northwestern's website