Let’s focus on providing a stellar patient experience

This is the first in a series of articles on the patient experience and why it matters to health care providers.

Beginning this month and running through May, our members — your patients — will be asked to complete the annual CAHPS member survey. CAHPS, which stands for Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems, asks patients to report on a wide range of health care services they receive. A large portion of the CAHPS survey is driven by the patient’s experience with his or her primary health care provider and the provider’s health care team, including such factors as the ability to get timely doctor’s appointments and follow-up on labs and imaging.

That’s why it’s so important for health care providers to focus on the patient experience. Patients who experience high-quality care and services from their doctor and health care team are more likely to be satisfied, loyal patients who make regular appointments and adhere to their treatment plans. This leads to healthier patients, better health care outcomes and, overall, lower health care costs since chronic conditions are better managed when a patient sees a primary care physician regularly.

How to improve the patient experience

What exactly can practices do to improve the patient experience? Here are some guidelines:

• Provide timely and appropriate screenings, tests and treatment.
• Educate staff members on how to properly document care that’s being delivered.
• Strengthen patient-provider relationships through open communication regarding health care needs and quality of care.
• Work with patients on developing chronic condition care plans.
• Coordinate care among all the other providers involved with the patient.
• Follow up with patients about medications and medication adherence.
• Assess timeliness of care and work with office staff to help ensure that patients can get appointments when they need them.

New tools you can use

Our 2021 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan physician survey showed that only 6 in 10 providers believe that Blue Cross is providing sufficient support to practices to help them improve the patient experience. That’s why we’ve ramped up our support for providers in this area over the past two years.

Here are a few examples:

• A podcast series called “Practice Up.” The four podcasts included in the series give providers concrete steps they can take to improve the patient experience. For complete details, see this article in the December Record.
• A four-module patient experience e-learning course that gives providers best practice tips, tools and techniques for improving the patient experience. For details, see this article in the January Record.
• Sessions on “Patient Experience: Best practices in the New Normal,” offered in May and June 2023 as part of this year’s virtual provider symposium. It will show physicians and staff how providing great experiences to their patients benefits their practice. For more details and registration information, see this article in the February Record.  

These offerings are fun, engaging and respectful of your busy schedules. You can participate at your convenience and also receive continuing education credits.

CAHPS survey: A closer look

The CAHPS survey, administered by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, is sent to a random sample of members every spring to measure their experience with their health plan, prescription drug plan, health care providers and office staff. Many providers have asked us what kinds of questions patients are asked on the CAHPS survey.

Here’s a sampling of the questions members will be asked about their health care experience when they receive their survey:

• Using a 10-point scale, how would you rate all your health care in the last six months?
• How often was it easy to get the care, tests or treatment you needed?
• How often did you get an appointment as soon as you needed it?
• How often did you see the person you came to see within 15 minutes of your appointment time?
• When a provider ordered a blood test, X-ray or other test for you, how often did someone from the provider’s office follow up to give you results?
• Did you get the help you needed from this provider’s office in managing your care among different providers and services?

Answers that members provide influence the overall CAHPS score that a health plan receives. This score, in turn, plays a big role in a plan’s Medicare Star Ratings performance. CAHPS and Star Ratings are important to providers because they indicate how well patients think physicians and staff are performing in areas that matter most to them.

“Many CAHPS metrics assess patient interactions with physicians and care delivery, including access to care, communication with physicians and the exchange of information between physicians,” said Sherri Dansby, director of Patient Experience. “Satisfied patients are more likely to trust physicians with their care and be more compliant with treatment plans, which can positively impact patient outcomes.”

Over the past several years, the patient experience has played an increasingly important role in Medicare Star Ratings. In 2017, it represented 18% of our Star Ratings, but now accounts for 34% of our ratings.

The link between patient experience and physician satisfaction

Dansby added that practices offering a positive patient experience can also benefit physicians and staff. Good relationships with loyal patients can decrease staff burnout, stress and turnover.

According to our 2021 physician survey, two-thirds of physicians (63%) reported feelings of burnout — levels that have more than doubled since 2017 — and 70% agree they struggle with staffing challenges. A total of 428 physicians responded to the survey.

We appreciate all you do to improve the patient experience and hope your ongoing efforts lead to higher levels of physician and staff satisfaction as well.

For information or to request a patient experience consultation, email PatientExperience@bcbsm.com.

None of the information included in this article is intended to be medical advice and, as such, it remains the provider’s responsibility to ensure that any medical treatment is done in accordance with all applicable state, federal laws, regulations and/or medical board standards.