The Business objectives:
- To improve the quality of service for attending and residing private patients
- Numbers of private insurance patients coming to the hospital tending downwards
- Need to position the hospital as the first private hospital of choice by both consulting practitioners as well as patients themselves
- Implementing identified improvements required in initial patient welcome (and processing); and the seamless integration of services between different departments
The Journey
After initial discussions and interviews with a range of people (including existing and previous patients) as well as extrapolating data from Patient Satisfaction Surveys and other measurement instruments; a process and implantation plan was formulated and signed off by the senior management team.
Several interventions over a period of time were held including a Champions of Change workshop to sustain and coordinate hospital development activity on an on-going basis where monitored results and improvements were fed to the senior team as part of their management review, communication and budgetary sign-off.
What was different?
- Welcome process for patients was changed from being a form-filling exercise to one of a warm reassurance for patients and their families
- A Positive improvement (beyond the expectation of the Hospital Administrator team) in patient satisfaction matrices
- Attraction of consulting physicians opting to provide their services and clinics on site increased within the first 12 month period of measurement
- The Aga Khan Hospital Karibu (Induction) program was introduced for all new starters for the first time
- Closer communication and connection after triage assessment for attending and residing patients between functions within the hospital.
- People felt a sense of Pride in working for the hospital because of its improved standards in patient concern and welfare (beyond the traditional healthcare provided by departmental specialties)