MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS AND METHODS
You are a DNP-prepared nurse working at a hospital focused on improving patient satisfaction. After receiving care at your hospital, patients are provided a
scorecard to survey their patient experience. The patient surveys range in questions from wait time to effectiveness of care, and these surveys provide your
hospital with a scorecard indicating how the hospital is performing against these metrics. Upon reviewing the scorecards, you are able to highlight areas of
improvement and areas of success, however, you find the responses are often difficult to analyze, as there are a wide range of responses, and there are many
variables.The process of constructing a balanced scorecard for the tracking of patient satisfaction can be controversial. For example, a hospital’s patient
satisfaction scorecard provides a snapshot of gathered data for the hospital, but the data may be out of context, which makes it difficult to identify specific
problems. It is evident that both scorecards and dashboards have a place in the healthcare setting; however, will all organizations and accrediting bodies
agree on the aspects of implementation, data analysis, and levels of effectiveness?
For this Discussion, you will explore key indicators involved with the use of scorecards and dashboards for tracking organizational performance. Reflect on a
particular healthcare organization or nursing practice with an established scorecard or dashboard measuring patient experience.
Sample Solution
The healthcare organization I will be discussing is a large, urban, academic medical center that has adopted the use of scorecards and dashboards for tracking organizational performance. The organization utilizes an online patient satisfaction survey to gather data from patients on their experience at the hospital. This survey consists of questions about wait times, communication with care providers, effectiveness of care, etc., and provides the hospital with real-time feedback on how they are performing in key areas. The organization then uses the data collected from the survey to create a balanced scorecard which outlines both successes and areas needing improvement in terms of patient satisfaction.
In addition to this scorecard, the hospital also has invested in technology such as digital dashboards to provide staff with a snapshot view into current performance levels across various categories. These digital dashboards display up-to-date trend information so that leaders can quickly identify any problem areas or successes related to patient satisfaction. Furthermore, having this visual representation allows for staff members at different levels throughout the organization to see how their efforts are contributing towards achieving organizational goals related to patient experience.
Despite these implementations being beneficial for organizations looking to improve customer service and operational efficiency, there are some drawbacks associated with using Balanced Scorecards and Dashboards as tools for measuring success in healthcare settings. As previously mentioned these tools provide snapshots of gathered data but may not always take into account other contextual factors that could influence results such as changes in staffing or environment conditions (i.e; noise level). Additionally although these systems can help provide insight into potential issues within an organization it does not guarantee improved outcomes unless there is an actionable plan implemented by leadership which can be difficult if resources become limited due to budget constraints or other factors outside of control .
Overall although balance scorecards and dashboards have been shown useful tracking organizational performance within healthcare organizations they should be used as part of comprehensive strategy rather than a standalone tool if lasting improvements are desired . Organizations must understand all implications associated when utilizing a system such as this one while taking into consideration other external influences before committing resources towards implementation otherwise unintended consequences could result if decisions made were based solely on information presented through them