Satisfaction Academy: A Novel Residency Curriculum to Improve the Patient Experience in the Emergency Department

Abstract

Introduction: Patient satisfaction is a key indicator of health care value and an increasingly important metric used to assess emergency physician performance and often reimbursement. To our knowledge, there is no standardized curriculum within emergency medicine (EM) residency programs that focuses on the patient experience in EM. Methods: Our novel resident curriculum is an organized approach to enhancing patient-centered care by optimizing the patient experience. It spans the academic year, with key topics organized into a quarterly time line. Topics include physician courtesy and respect, pain management, discussion of diagnostic and therapeutic interventions, timely communication, and delivery of quality care. Each quarter has three components: introduction/didactics, an interactive workshop, and stories and reflection. The instructional methods used include didactic lectures, role-playing, and group reflection and storytelling. Results: Of 44 participants, 54.5% completed a preintervention survey, and 45.5% completed a postintervention survey. The surveys consisted of 5-point Likert scales measuring degree of agreement with statements that reflected desired behaviors and/or attitudes. On the postintervention survey, participants gave scores indicating general agreement with desired behaviors including sitting at the bedside, acknowledging all persons in the room, and giving an anticipated disposition, as well as with feeling more knowledgeable about patient satisfaction. Discussion: Our Satisfaction Academy has filled a significant gap related to enhancing the patient experience. This curriculum is generalizable to other EM residency programs, and the interactive peer-to-peer format is both engaging and customizable.

Utilizing Telemedicine in a Novel Approach to COVID-19 Management and Patient Experience in the Emergency Department

“…This peer-to-peer training, which has been shown to be an effective educational tool in other ED settings, was used to provide rapid dissemination of knowledge amidst surging COVID-19 case volume. 27,28 Carts were also available for use by internal medicine and other non-ED clinical teams caring for isolated ED patients, but only for providers physically present in the hospital.…”

Communication in the Time of COVID-19

“…[ 1 , 2 ] Despite these prescriptive measures, communication in emergency medicine is never easy. [ 3 , 4 ] We see people at a time of pressing need with only minutes to make a personal connection. We interrupt to a fault in an attempt to speed along our history taking.…”