FAQS

What is a patient satisfaction improvement plan?

A patient satisfaction improvement plan is a detailed plan put in place in order to increase patient satisfaction.  It helps the clinic identify areas of client care that needs improvement, who is responsible, how progress will be measured, the deadline for the improvements, and the desired outcome.

The patient satisfaction improvement plan is very similar to SMART goal setting:

Specific:  What do you want to accomplish?  Why is this goal important?  Who is involved?  What resources are involved?

Measurable:  Are you able to track your progress?  How will you know when it's accomplished?

Achievable:  Is achieving this goal realistic with effort and commitment?  Do you have the resources to achieve this goal?  If not, how will you get them?

Relevant:  Why is this goal important?  Does it seem worthwhile?  Is this the right time?  Does this match efforts/needs? 

Timely:  When will you achieve this goal?

Why should I create a patient satisfaction improvement plan?

The health care industry is shifting toward value-based care, so it is important to ensure the patient is satisfied to optimize health outcomes.  Patient satisfaction is a great measure for the quality of health care provided by your clinic and impacts clinical outcomes, patient retention, and medical malpractice claims.  In short, it is important to ensure your clinic is focused on patient-centered care.

What should I include in the plan?

A patient satisfaction improvement plan includes the following areas:

• Priority concerns:  What needs your immediate attention?
• Strategies for improvement:  What strategies can you use to improve the concern?
• Who is responsible:  Who will be responsible for implementing the plan?
• Deadline for action to be taken:  When will implement the plan?
• How you will measure success:  How will you track your progress?  How will you know you have successfully implemented the plan?

What does a patient satisfaction plan look like?

Here is an example of a patient satisfaction plan from the Family Planning National Training Center:

References

Family Planning National Training Center. (n.d.) Patient experience improvement toolkit. https://www.jsi.com/JSIInternet/Inc/Common/_download_pub.cfm?id=14155&lid=3