SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In a nationwide broadcast webinar entitled, “Improving HCAHPS Scores for Cleanliness and Quiet: Enhancing the Patient Environment,” 394 people representing 175 hospitals participated in an interactive session featuring speakers from University Hospitals in Cleveland, Ohio and Banner Gateway Medical Center in Gilbert, Arizona. This Webinar was part of an ongoing series of quarterly forums hosted by Skylight Healthcare Systems that examine key topics in healthcare and ways that Interactive Patient Systems can have a measurable impact on HCAHPS scores and Value Based Purchasing initiatives—which include the potential for a 1% CMS operating payment reduction for hospital performance compared to national benchmarks with other hospitals across the country.
The presenters described innovative yet straightforward approaches to addressing recurrent issues relating to improving the environment for patients and families through room cleanliness and quiet at night programs. This highly engaging program included real-world examples and results as to how hospitals have been able to leverage Skylight’s CareNavigator to overcome challenges while improving and maintaining their increased HCAHPS scores with cleanliness and quiet initiatives and programs.
Program highlights included practical applications for:
- Developing a strategic approach to analyze and address issues
- Developing a program that can quickly be deployed and measured for effectiveness
- Creating metrics based on patient perceptions
- Developing a service culture to grow staff support for change
- Putting systems in place to solidify staff understanding of their impact on HCAHPS scores
This forum demonstrated that cleanliness and quiet are at the forefront of issues that hospital must address now—especially since they represent an area with great opportunity for improvement. Polling results from participants indicated that only 18% of participants were either “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with their room cleanliness HCAHPS scores and only 9% of participants were either “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with their quiet at night HCAHPS scores.
“We are very pleased that webinar participants were able to take away proven and actionable programming tools to begin these initiatives. Skylight has a highly engaged and active community of clients who strive to share best practices and help their healthcare colleagues get the most value from their Interactive Patient System,” commented Tom Klopack, Skylight President and CEO. “Beginning with our fall 6th Annual Client Conference and continuing throughout the year, we partner with our clients and industry partners like Sodexo to create a productive and objective communications forum to provide the best possible patient experience while improving clinical workflow.”
As hospitals shoulder increasing accountability for both clinical and financial management of patients, Skylight’s CareNavigator™ is recognized by leadership at innovative healthcare organizations as a vital tool for improving the overall patient experience across the comprehensive, coordinated care journey. Impacting more than 1.3 million hospital stays a year (5M lives), the system integrates with the patient’s hospital room TV monitor, tablet or other device to provide education, services, and essential information.
About Skylight Healthcare Systems
Founded in 1999, and headquartered in San Diego, CA, Skylight® Healthcare Systems is the industry pioneer in the Interactive Patient System market. With patient communication, education, and connection as the cornerstone of a safe, comfortable and clinically optimal hospital experience, the Skylight Interactive Patient System encourages patients and family to actively participate in their health care, improves communication between staff and patient/family members, and can provide a smoother and faster recovery and discharge plan. From pre-admission through post-discharge, Skylight addresses patients’ needs in education and health literacy, access to services, and critical information flow between themselves and their caregivers. Patients benefit from more control, faster healing, and a better grasp of health issues and hospitals see improved HCAHPS scores, reduced readmissions, and increased reimbursements. Hospitals implement Skylight to support their ongoing endeavors in improving HCAHPS scores, patient satisfaction, clinical outcomes, enhancing operational & service excellence, meeting evolving clinical demands, and delivering on commitments to making a positive difference in the lives of the people they serve.