Getting Better, Part 2

Dr. Mok's Notes January 2007

Thanks to all those who took the time last fall to respond to the referring physician survey.  This is a brief summary of the results of the survey and a review of next steps to make the experience of referring a patient to The Children's Hospital better in every way. 

The comparison of survey results in 2006 with previous years indicates steady improvement in The Children's Hospital's systems that support:

1. Information for you and your practice about current hospital programs and services;
2. Interesting and convenient CME/CNE opportunities;
3. Rapid phone consultation with specialists for patient questions;
4. Overall high satisfaction with outcomes of care;
5. Confidence in the expertise of The Children's Hospital faculty and staff.

The establishment of the One Call system (720-777-3999) has paid off in connecting you more quickly to the right source at the hospital to get questions answered.  The consistent ranking of The Children's Hospital among the Top Ten hospitals for children nationally suggests a high level of performance in dealing with complex pediatric illnesses.

While we are gratified by the confidence you place in The Children's Hospital as your partner in the care of your patients, we recognize a need to strengthen the personal bond with all those in the Rocky Mountain West who work in children's healthcare.  This need for a better relationship with you is indicated by a number of service issues that showed a downward trend in the recent survey. We are committed to turning that around to move in the direction of highly satisfied referring partners.

Specifically, you are less satisfied with:

• The availability of outpatient specialty appointments
• The timeliness of receiving written and spoken information on your patients after an ambulatory or inpatient visit
• The sense of respect you feel when you contact the hospital for advice or when you refer a patient for care.

The following actions are underway to address areas of concern:

1. Attract as many talented new faculty as possible to a satisfying career at The Children's Hospital in short staffed departments, and when appropriate use mid-level clinicians to extend service availability.
2. Examine work flow in the ambulatory and inpatient setting to streamline telephone advice, pre-admission work ups and discharge efficiency to increase bed capacity.
3. Institute a hospitalist program on the medical wards at The Children's Hospital to improve continuity of care and primary care provider (PCP) communication without sacrificing the learning experience in the teaching program for students, residents and fellows.
4. Expand the appointment making options for families and practices with longer centralized scheduling hours, better nurse advice backup, and the use of on-line appointment access.
5. Refine the use of the hospital electronic medical record (EPIC) to include all inpatient and outpatient encounters, and make this information available immediately to PCP's on line through "TCH Connect", while monitoring daily reports of phone and fax contact with PCP's by hospital teams.

We realize that The new Children's Hospital is a chance to create the best experience possible for patients and families who need help during times of illness. There is no substitute for your continued feedback as we make things better. 

Contact us anytime at Physician Relations or feel free to contact me personally at (720) 777-6130 or mokrohisky.stefan@tchden.org.