CRM | Healthcare | Patient Experience | SDOH
Patient Satisfaction and Why It Matters
cahps | hipaa | patient experience surveys | patient satisfaction | sdoh | Social Determinants of Health
We all know the famous song, “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction.” Not too long ago, these were the lyrics almost every patient had in their head when leaving a healthcare facility.
Imagine walking into your doctor’s office and feeling like just another number in a crowded waiting room. Now, imagine the opposite scenario: an experience where every interaction is tailored and you feel truly heard and understood. This contrast isn’t just about comfort, it’s about outcomes.
Thankfully, through federal intervention and provider initiative, there is a positive effort to measure, report and greatly improve patient satisfaction.
This concept matters in more ways than one. It directly correlates to a positive or negative reputation which can further have a positive or negative impact on revenue.
One of the top reasons for patient loyalty and retention is the quality of care received, as findings from Tebra’s Annual 2024 Patient Perspective report show that 61% of patients stay loyal for excellent care. Furthermore, 86% of patients only give up to two chances after poor care before going elsewhere.
Overall, patients want responsiveness, access, and to be treated like they matter. That is why it is extremely important for your organization to leverage patient surveying. This article details the OAS CAHPS and why it matters.
The Outpatient and Ambulatory Surgery Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers & Systems (OAS CAHPS) is now mandatory for Medicare-certified Hospital Outpatient Surgery Departments (HOPDs), and will become mandatory for Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs) in 2025.
It is a 34-question evaluation for patients over the age of 18 designed to measure their experience and look for areas of improvement. Topics covered in the survey include:
The OAS survey results are reported for both composite measures and global items.
Composite Measures
Global Items
Healthcare and surgery facilities are able to use the assessment results to improve patient operations and encourage consumers to make informed healthcare decisions.
According to Press Ganey, OAS CAHPS surveys are administered on an ongoing basis. HOPDs should aim to have 300 completed surveys annually, while ASCs should target 200 completed surveys over the 12-month reporting period (once it becomes mandatory in 2025).
All results from these surveys should be reported to CMS and are publicly available, which promotes high levels of transparency and motivates high performance among healthcare facilities along with informed consumer decision-making.
Noncompliant organizations are subject to annual rate reductions in their Medicare payments along with a 2.0 percentage point reduction in their annual fee schedule update.
To prepare for the mandatory implementation, ASCs should get ready to streamline processes, ensure compliance with this survey, and overall elevate the delivery of care. Growth Power Suite (GPS) can help you do this! Read more below.
According to Tebra’s Annual 2024 Patient Perspective report, 92% of patients are more inclined to engage digitally, in a meaningful way, for the sake of convenience and accuracy.
This is why it is essential for your organization to streamline processes, especially the patient intake process, in order to save time and improve patient satisfaction. Practices should invest in software such as Growth Power Suite that includes various digital features made to enhance the consumer experience.
Here are just a few of GPS‘s features that will elevate your organization:
Customize, collect, and report experiences patients have had under your organization’s care. You are also able to catalog their home life by reviewing their answers to the Social Determinants of Health questionnaire and establish a bond between patient and caretaker.
Our pipelines can help your healthcare facility visualize and report any process imaginable within our software! They include customizable stages and automated moving within said stages, allowing for your organization to visualize and download any report.
Let our system handle calls and reminders for you. Appointment Management allows for quick and easy automated scheduling according to your business calendar, which you get to customize and link to Google or Microsoft! Patients can receive personalized automated reminders regarding their appointments including dates, times, and even addresses.
Store your patient data in HIPAA secured accounts to keep their information private and safe. Additionally, you can create a patient rounding system that aids your nurses day to day check ins!
The OAS CAHPS survey provides valuable insights into patient pain points, identifies strategic actions you can take to enhance patient experience, and delivers real-time data to help drive decision-making. By analyzing the information provided through outpatient surveys, you are better able to successfully align your organizational practices with patient’s standards for care and compare your performance to state and national averages.
Schedule a demo with Growth Power Suite today to try our software that streamlines your processes and improves your patients’ experience!
