Here are 10 patient suggestions for hospitals. Let’s make them happen.

Since undergoing a double-lung transplant at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in December 2011, Podge Reed Jr. has had four medical admissions, two surgical admissions, eight outpatient procedures requiring anesthesia, more than 100 outpatient appointments, and 700 labs and other tests. He’s amassed enough experiences with the health care system to write a book. So far, though, he’s mostly kept it to two letters, totaling 12 pages, to our patient relations office, detailing opportunities for improvement. So when our hospital hosted an employee town hall meeting about patient-centered care, Reed was a natural choice to sit on a panel. Reed, a member of the hospital’s Patient and Family Advisory Council, explained that he has been very pleased overall with the care he has received, and he says he gave us high marks on the surveys sent following his visits. Still, he wanted to share his feedback — advising, for instance, to turn off the TV monitor at night, give patients a bathrobe and avoid late-night blood draws when possible, or at least explain why they’re needed. Health care professionals need to be attuned to the subtle things that can color a patient’s experience, as well as the fact that all hospital staff members are part of that experience, he pointed out. While hospitals focus on national patient experience surveys, what matters to him is whether we do something with the feedback that patients provide. That is a major way to demonstrate a com...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - Category: Journals (General) Authors: Tags: Physician Hospital Source Type: blogs