NRC Health (NRC) Status update summary

Key challenges in patient experience measurement

• Conflicting data from HCAHPS and patient feedback platforms can create uncertainty and hinder confidence in improvement strategies.

• NPS and HCAHPS are strongly related, with similar trends over time, but short-term views can obscure true performance.

• Focusing solely on HCAHPS due to its public and financial impact can lead to missed insights and revenue opportunities.

Importance of timely and representative feedback

• Timely feedback enables rapid improvement, positive recognition, and effective service recovery, which are critical for staff morale and patient loyalty.

• HCAHPS responses are predominantly from patients aged 65+, which may not represent the broader patient population.

• Expanding feedback methods, such as web-based surveys, can capture more diverse patient perspectives.

Strategies for improvement and action

• Focusing on key drivers like care coordination and nurse communication yields the greatest impact on overall ratings.

• Leadership rounding and a supportive culture foster accountability and effective service recovery.

• Using real-time feedback in areas like the emergency department can influence inpatient HCAHPS scores, especially for smaller hospitals.