Abstract
Background: Patient’s satisfaction is recognized as an indicator to monitor quality in healthcare services. Patient-reported experience measures (PREMs) may contribute to create a benchmark of hospital performance by assessing quality and safety in cancer care. Methods: The areas of interest assessed were: patient-centric welcome perception (PCWP), punctuality, professionalism and comfort using the Lean Six Sigma (LSS) methodology. The RAMSI (Radioterapia Amica Mia SmileINTM (SI) My Friend RadiotherapySI), project provided for the placement of SI totems with four push buttons using HappyOrNot technology in a high-volume radiation oncology (RO) department. The SI technology was implemented in the RO department of the Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS. SI totems were installed in different areas of the department. The SI Experience Index was collected, analyzed and compared. Weekly and monthly reports were created showing hourly, daily and overall trends. Results: From October 2017 to November 2019, a total of 42,755 votes were recorded: 8687, 10,431, 18,628 and 5009 feedback items were obtained for PCWP, professionalism, punctuality, and comfort, respectively. All areas obtained a SI-approved rate ≥ 8.0. Conclusions: The implementation of the RAMSI system proved to be doable according to the large amount of feedback items collected in a high-volume clinical department. The application of the LSS methodology led to specific corrective actions such as modification of the call-in-clinic system during operations planning. In order to provide healthcare optimization, a multicentric and multispecialty network should be defined in order to set up a benchmark.
Highlights
Over recent years, the awareness of a patient’s perception of quality in healthcare systems has been increasing
The RAMSI project involved the placement of four SI totems within the radiotherapy division of the Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A
More than 40,000 patients’ feedback items were obtained; 8687, 10,431, 18,628 and 5009 feedback items were obtained for patient-centric welcome perception (PCWP), professionalism, punctuality, and comfort, respectively (Table 1)
Summary
The awareness of a patient’s perception of quality in healthcare systems has been increasing. While PROMs measure the impact of an illness and the effects of interventions in term of healthcare outcomes [7,8,9], PREMs assess a patient’s needs and experiences whilst receiving care [10,11]. Patient’s satisfaction is recognized as an indicator to monitor quality in healthcare services. Patient-reported experience measures (PREMs) may contribute to create a benchmark of hospital performance by assessing quality and safety in cancer care. Methods: The areas of interest assessed were: patient-centric welcome perception (PCWP), punctuality, professionalism and comfort using the Lean Six Sigma (LSS) methodology. Conclusions: The implementation of the RAMSI system proved to be doable according to the large amount of feedback items collected in a high-volume clinical department. In order to provide healthcare optimization, a multicentric and multispecialty network should be defined in order to set up a benchmark
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