Sikeston hospital scores high on customer satisfaction surveys

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Survey says: Missouri Delta Medical Center is doing an outstanding job.

MDMC recently celebrated a 97 percentile overall score on its most recent quarterly report from patient satisfaction surveys, the Sikeston Standard Democrat reported.

"That was the highest overall score we've ever received," said Sharon Urhahn, MDMC's director of marketing. Urhahn explained scores are given as a percentile which reflects the MDMC's ranking in its class. A score of 97 means MDMC is doing better than 97 percent of the 1,400 hospitals in its comparison group, she said.

The surveys were mandated about three years ago to remain eligible for Medicare Hospital Care Assurance Program payments, according to Charles Ancell, president of MDMC, "but we started a year earlier than that."

The questionnaires are distributed by Press Ganey, a company which specializes in patient satisfaction surveys.

Press Ganey provides survey services for over 10,000 health care facilities, according to Ancell. "They do most of the hospitals in the United States," he said.

The hospital sends lists of discharged patients to Press Ganey "and they take it from there," Ancell said. "They do the whole process -- every inpatient that comes to our hospital gets a patient satisfaction survey. We survey 100 percent of our inpatient stays."

Monthly, quarterly and yearly statistics are presented to the hospital for review. Statistics show how MDMC stacks up against hospitals of about the same size and other health care providers in the region as well as score breakdowns for specifics such as the doctor who treated the patient and the medical unit the patient was treated in, among others.

Urhahn said after a completed survey is processed by Press Ganey, the company sends a copy to the hospital.

This is important, Urhahn said, as Missouri Delta officials are able to not only recognize trends using the statistical reports, but can also consider and directly address customer comments.

As copies of completed surveys are received by the hospital on a daily basis, MDMC's patient satisfaction committee reviews incoming surveys weekly to spot any issues as early as possible, Urhahn said.

Ancell said Missouri Delta is getting an exceptional amount of feedback from its customers as nearly half of the surveys sent out are filled out and sent in.

"We have an unusually high return," Urhahn agreed, noting the typical rate of return for surveys is around 15 percent.

She said this high return is no accident, though: "We encourage our patients to return them."

The survey form has a place for the patient to sign their name but the survey can be submitted anonymously. Patients who are willing to sign their name on their survey, however, are entered into a quarterly drawing for a $100 gift card. "I really do think that's why we get such a good response," Urhahn said.

The survey is made up of over 50 easy-to-answer, standardized questions which ask the patient to rate on a scale of 1-5 a wide range of subjects from promptness and courtesy of the staff to the skill of the physician.

"Everybody gets the same questions," Ancell said.

While the surveys are a requirement for the hospital, MDMC officials have enthusiastically embraced them as a great opportunity to help improve patient care and satisfaction.

"We're striving to get 5s," Ancell said, "and we have steadily increased our scores."

Ancell said while they are always looking to improve, MDMC actually started with some pretty good scores. The obstetrics/gynecology and pediatrics units, for example, initially scored high and have pretty much remained in the 99 percentile for the last two years, he said.

"A 99 percentile score is the highest possible score," Ancell said. "You can't get 100."

On the questions regarding the room, MDMC had started with scores below the 50 percentile -- which was one of the reasons officials decided to renovate patients rooms and make them all private rooms.

As expected, the score in this area "improved drastically," Ancell said. "It's gone to the top." MDMC is now scoring in the 99 percentile in this category, he said.

Seeing scores improve is "gratifying," Ancell said, as "patient satisfaction should always be our major focus. This has been our major emphasis in the last three years -- and it's shown: we're getting results for our efforts."

MDMC officials have been so pleased with the information received from the inpatient surveys they are now considering expanding to include surveys for outpatient services beginning with outpatient surgery and home health.

Pertinent address:

1008 North Main St., Sikeston, MO