I guess the government is in the middle of a campaign to let people know that there is a website where they can compare hospitals. It is at the CMS website (center for medicare/medicaid services). For some reason my hospital is not on it. It does give out some very good information about whether the hospital is meeting some standards of care around surgery, heart attacks, CHF.
Then here is the section dealing with patient satisfaction. One of the questions that stuck in my craw was: Percent of patients who reported that they "Always" received help as soon as they wanted. Apparently that is the standard we are supposed to go by. We are supposed to run to your room as soon as possible and meet your every need, no matter how trivial. And believe me some of it is very trivial: can I have footies? Can I have juice and crackers? Can you scratch my butt? Can we talk? Then there is the person who is so wacko they put on the light every 5 minutes for some little inane request...the kind you want to strangle. Their request for help must be promptly answered.Never mind that we are bursting At the seams with patients who are actually an emergency. (yes it does happen sometimes) I can rush for your water as I complete the myriad of charting that is now required, as Thelma goes out of control in the psych room, Fred goes into V tach,demented Dora tries to get out of bed. And naturally I will always have a smile on my face as you ask me for some chap stick....... your complete and total happiness is my goal here at the happiness garden hospital.
4 comments:
I am so coming to your place to play with the call lights. I love juice and crackers:>)AnnieH
I read that and thought exactly the same thing. "Hey, my stay was great! I got water as soon as I called!" (never mind the wrong diagnosis was made and I got an unnecessary operation!)
And how do we evaluate the satisfaction of my four-points patient who STILL managed to throw a snowball of poo 15 feet into the hallway?
Mint on his pillow?
/jo
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