H&HN Daily - Latest Comments in http://www.hhnmag.com/hhnmag/HHNDaily/HHNDailyDisplay.dhtml?id=3390004633

Re: http://www.hhnmag.com/hhnmag/HHNDaily/HHNDailyDisplay.dhtml?id=3390004633

Lmorris — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 11:15:41 -0000

What a timely and pertinent article! Amenities are clearly important, especially to the boomers, but cost effectiveness of amenities will be an increasingly important factor. Further, as more of us must assume financial responsibility for health care choices we make, the question of how the question of balance between amenities and true quality of care will be measured. I've often cited the parallel between the wonderful department stores that once existed across the country with their superior amenities and great customer service. As more cost effective choices became available (e.g., Target, Wal-Mart, Kohl's, etc), the great old department stores with all their amenities and services faded into obscurity in towns and cities across the country. That may be a message that we who lovingly embrace our hospitals with all their amenities and services should carefully consider.

Leigh Morris, FHFMA, FACHE

Re: http://www.hhnmag.com/hhnmag/HHNDaily/HHNDailyDisplay.dhtml?id=3390004633

Deirdre Mylod, PhD — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 15:43:26 -0000

This article points out the tremendous impact that the environment of care has on both attracting patients and contributing to patients evaluation of their overall care experience. But we need to be careful about trivializing healing attributes of the care environment as merely amenities that are separate from quality. We also need to allow for more layers of 'quality assessment' that patients can and do make beyond just hospital level metrics of quality performance such as safety or mortality issues.

Patient's entire experience with a health issue and treatment creates tremendous stress, anxiety and essentially suffering for the individual. Some of that stress or suffering is inevitable and the key role health care plays is to reduce both physical suffering through treatment and the emotional suffering by offering a healing environment and compassionate interactions. 'Amenities' such as a private room where you can privately rest, or the ability to order food you would prefer brought to you when you are actually hungry, reduce the stress that is often inevitable. But patients also evaluate their experience beyond the amenities provided in terms of the quality of information, efficiency, and coordination of the hospital organization. When we communicate poorly, make patients wait unnecessarily, and demonstrate a lack of coordination to the patient, we create additional stress for the patient on top of what they have already brought to their experience. These same stressors are indicators of the quality of the hospitals overall performance and are opportunities to increase efficiency and safety, improve culture, engage patients as partners, and reduce errors. Patients do judge all these aspects of quality as it pertains to their own experience. So while they may not first select a hospital based on public hospital metrics, that does not mean they don't evaluate quality.

The amenities being discussed may serve to attract patients and will indeed help to create a healing environment. But hospitals must also optimize the actual delivery of care or else the amenities will not have their desired impact.

Re: http://www.hhnmag.com/hhnmag/HHNDaily/HHNDailyDisplay.dhtml?id=3390004633

Michelle Bowman — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 14:37:20 -0000

I agree full heartedly with this article. As an hospital-based RN diagnosed with breast cancer, I wanted and sought out care that was inclusive of the amenitites I wanted included and offered as a part of my care. That included a hospital that did acupuncture for side effects of chemotherapy, manual lymphatic drainage for post-op healing and stress releiving groups such as meditation. I am a baby boomer and we are demanding more than just high tech. Michelle Bowman, Longmont United Hospital-Colorado

Re: http://www.hhnmag.com/hhnmag/HHNDaily/HHNDailyDisplay.dhtml?id=3390004633

Kristin Baird, RN, BSN, MHA — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 14:05:55 -0000

Sita and Mary, great article. This is a topic that is near and dear to my heart and it confirms much of what we learn through patient interviews, focus groups and medical mystery shopping. Quality is in the eye of the beholder. Consumers will seek the advice of friends and neighbors who openly share opinions about providers and health care organizations through facebook, twitter and Angie's List. Once they have a negative experience, it is so difficult to turn that around. Everything that a patient or visitor comes in contact with (think 5 senses) should instill trust contributes to the experience. And, as the data shows, courtesy and appearance are very important in shaping the experience. Thanks for sharing this information.

Re: http://www.hhnmag.com/hhnmag/HHNDaily/HHNDailyDisplay.dhtml?id=3390004633

Monte Fulton — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 13:56:13 -0000

Interesting analysis. My firm has been auditing healthcare anciliary and "support services" departments for years. I don't understand healthcare leadership discounting such amenities as housekeeping, food service, valet, guest relations, landscaping, etc. Surely more and more patients and families will seriously consider QUALITY of AMENITIES, as well as quality of medical care, when selecting a provider. As healthcare grows more competitive and cost conscious, most organizations will gain a competitive edge by improving amenities. The hospitality industry learned this a long time ago!