Across the country, journalists, legislators, hospital administrators, and voters are asking how we can improve the American healthcare system without sacrificing the quality of care. Some are calling for a nationalized healthcare system. Others claim that the American system is broken because doctors are paid according to how many procedures they carry out, rather than how well they care for each patient. And yet healthcare providers across the country have discovered that tracking and improving employee engagement can actually make hospitals more efficient and effective. Research has shown that hospitals with higher levels of employee engagement also enjoy higher levels of patient satisfaction, quality outcomes, and staff retention.
Case in point. Lifespan has been improving operations since 2002 using PeopleMetrics’ EEM solution. Based in Providence, RI, Lifespan employs 11,800 employees and 2,700 physicians. To track engagement over time, Lifespan surveys all employees on a biennial basis. In the years in-between these system-wide surveys, pulse surveys are delivered to a statistically representative slice of Lifespan employees. Electronic focus groups (eFocus™) are also arranged to gain in-depth insight into the key drivers of engagement. Finally, PeopleMetrics analyzes each Lifespan hospital’s human resources records on turnover, overtime, and work done on a contract basis to evaluate whether EEM delivers positive business outcomes.
All of this data has shown a system-wide drivers for employee engagement. Additionally, each hospital determined specific engagement drivers at its facility. These results were used to create site- and department-specific Action Plans to increase engagement.
The results of Lifespan’s EEM work were impressive. A pulse survey conducted a year in showed significant improvement in engagement scores. Additionally, more Lifespan employees felt that management was committed to acting on survey results. Furthermore, Lifespan was able to establish a correlation between employee engagement and patient satisfaction: ratings of care and likelihood to recommend the hospital improved. Lifespan’s excellence in its employee engagement practices was recognized at a national healthcare conference in 2006, where Lifespan was awarded a Best Practices award.
Nurses, doctors, and other health professionals that feel supported and respected by their managers, are more likely to pass that feeling on to patients.
Additional Resources:
Case Study: Lifespan Uses Employee Engagement Management (EEM) to Increase Patient Satisfaction
Top Ten Sources of Workplace Stress, and How To Fight Them
Costco Case Study: Employee Passion Increases Employee Retention and Customer Engagement
Tags: EEM, employee engagement, employee engagement and healthcare, healthcare engagement gap, healthcare system, healthcare workers, Lifespan Inc., staff engagement and healthcare