By Marc Milano, MD, FACEP
Topic: Patient Satisfaction
As a physician in the ED you are in continual struggle to provide the finest care but deliver an expected level of efficiency. The clock is always ticking in the emergency department and every second you spend, or fail to spend, with the patient is counted toward their impression of you and your performance on the survey.
Patient satisfaction relies on many factors. Clear communication, compassion, and good medical practice form the cornerstones of success. Below are some helpful tricks to bend the perception of time, increase efficiency and give the patients what they want most – a physician’s attention.
Thin Slicing: One way of increasing patient satisfaction is by decreasing room-to-physician times. A technique that can shorten the time to “first contact” is the thin slicing technique. Simply put, an introduction, followed by a brief, focused history and exam with the promise to return later allows you to see several patients in rapid succession. This way the next patient isn’t waiting for you to complete an extensive evaluation on the previous one. This works especially well if you have several patients to see at the beginning of your shift.
The Pit Stop: When seeing “new” patients, especially given the geography of a large ED, try to quickly stop by and catch up with “old” patients in the same area. Simple, focused questions like, “How is your pain?” or “Are you doing OK, drinking the contrast for your CT?” will keep the interaction brief. This saves time and can really score big in terms of patient satisfaction. It lets patients know that you are on top of things and also gives you a chance to discover any issues or problems early on.
These are just a couple of examples of how simple techniques can have a significant effect on the patient experience–and maybe even make your shift go more quickly and smoothly!
Marc A. Milano, MD, FACEP, is chief of the department of emergency medicine at Bayshore Community Hospital in Holmdel, N.J. He serves as physician head coach of the Patient Satisfaction Coaching Program at Emergency Medical Associates, an emergency medicine practice headquartered in Parsippany, N.J. Dr. Milano received his undergraduate degree from Rutgers University, his medical degree from St. George’s University in Grenada, and completed his emergency medicine residency at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center.
