If you manage patient experience аt a hospital or other healthcare provider, you might feel uncertain on how to proceed with your program during the COVID-19 pandemic. Do you proceed with your annual measurements? Is the data you gather now good for anything? Will you reach your annual targets?
Even if you haven’t encountered fluctuations in patient experience scores and/or survey response volumes already, the steps below will help you prepare and proactively manage the challenges that are coming your way.
Adapt your surveys
Adjust sampling processes and filters to stabilize response rates if response rates begin fluctuating significantly from baseline
Flags: tag and track invitations sent and responses received during the COVID-19 crisis to allow for subsequent impact analysis
Update survey invite messages, intro and thank-you pages to show empathy and provide helpful information / Q&A
Monitor customer feedback closely
Patients may need additional reassurance and compassion from their healthcare providers during this time. Leverage on technology (survey platforms, social media tracking, text analytics tools) to additionally set up alerts for:
Call centers / online chat tools: responsiveness, compassion, scheduling / rescheduling / postponed appointments, quality of information received
Clinical staff: availability, heath condition, waiting time in front of office, speed of consultation, usage of protective gear (gloves, masks)
Facility: cleanliness (floor and other surfaces), safety (sanitizer availability, distance between patients, protective gear for non-clinical staff, etc.)
Brand: overall perception of the healthcare provider in handling the COVID-19 crisis
