Improving HCAHPS Scores for Hospitals Using RTLS Technology

Today’s hospitals are becoming more patient-centric in their approach to care, finding ways to improve the overall patient experience. To do so, they need reliable methods to collect feedback from past patient visits. 

One way they do this is through the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems, also known as HCAHPS or the CAHPS Hospital Survey. 

This national, standardized, publicly reported survey is a data collection methodology that measures patients’ perceptions of their hospital experience. Hospitals are given a HCAHPS score, allowing for objective comparisons of hospitals across local, regional, and national levels. 

The survey is administered throughout a patient’s stay in a hospital and asks patients questions in the following areas:

• Communication with doctors
• Communication with nurses
• Responsiveness of hospital staff
• Pain management
• Cleanliness and quietness of the hospital
• Communication about medicines
• Discharge information
• Care transitions
• Likelihood to recommend
• Overall rating of the hospital 

Why Are HCAHPS Scores Important for Hospitals? 

HCAHPS is a crucial tool for healthcare facilities to help monitor the quality of care in their hospital. By understanding which areas patients are or are not satisfied with, hospitals can take action to improve their patient experience. 

These are a few of the benefits HCAHPS scores provide hospitals:

• Increased revenue - These scores impact a hospital’s reimbursements. The higher a hospital’s HCAHPS, the higher their reimbursements will be. 
• Better patient engagement - The HCAHPS survey is one way patients can share feedback directly with a hospital about their stay. 
• Improved transparency - Because of HCAHPS scores, patients can make more informed decisions about their care, while hospitals can provide a more transparent view of the quality of care their facility offers. 

Common Causes of Low HCAHPS Scores

While HCAHPS scores indicate how well a hospital is performing, there are changes healthcare facilities can make to boost their scores. Many common causes of low HCAHPS scores — like long wait times in exam rooms or unclear instructions about where to go in a facility — can be addressed.

To improve HCAHPS scores, hospitals should first focus on increasing overall patient satisfaction. One way hospitals are doing so is by investing in real-time locating systems (RTLS) technology. Here’s how this technology helps hospitals address patient pain points. 

How to Improve HCAHPS Scores and Patient Satisfaction with Cox Prosight

Cox Prosight is an RTLS platform for healthcare facilities that streamlines and modernizes hospital operations. Used to improve staff and patient experiences, Cox Prosight eases stress through digital location-based services. 

Here are three ways Cox Prosight helps hospitals boost patient satisfaction:

1. Consistently Well-Maintained Equipment Due to Asset Tracking

Nurses and hospital staff rely on clean, ready-to-use equipment. When equipment is dirty or difficult to locate, it increases staff’s response time and can impact a hospital’s cleanliness, which may ultimately influence their HCAHPS score. 

With Cox Prosight’s asset tracking capabilities, staff gain real-time visibility into equipment location, status, and utilization. Asset tracking tags provide visibility into equipment location, which is essential for maintenance, patient care, sanitizing or cleaning, recalls, or rental returns. For administrative staff, RTLS technology helps them order the correct inventory size and prevent stockouts. 

2. Streamlined Check-In Using Digital Front Door Solutions

When a patient enters the hospital, they may feel uneasy about their visit, and the last thing they want to do is sit around in the waiting room. By streamlining check-in using Cox Prosight’s digital front door solution, patients can digitally check-in for their appointment, eliminating long waiting times. Hospitals can set a geofence around the hospital to trigger mobile express check-in.

Cox Prosight enables hospitals to display an innovative patient portal that streamlines check-in, medications, lab results, bills, upcoming appointments, and more. Patient portals can help improve a patient’s communication with their doctors and about their medications. Overall, a digital front door can enhance patient engagement and enable whole-person care.

3. Easier Navigation Using Digital Wayfinding

Navigating a busy hospital can be challenging and stressful for patients and visitors. Many hospitals tend to have poor wayfinding designs in emergency departments, outpatient services, cafeterias, and labs. Oftentimes, when a patient or visitor is lost, they will stop a nurse or staff to ask for directions. 

With Cox Prosight’s digital wayfinding, guests access turn-by-turn directions inside the facility to help them navigate the hospital with ease. Digital wayfinding helps reduce missed appointments by enabling patients to find where they need to go faster. Wayfinding technology also frees nurses and staff to focus on delivering high-quality patient care without distractions. 

Partner with a Leader in RTLS Technology to Achieve Higher HCAHPS Scores 

Investing in RTLS technology is an effective and proven way to improve the overall patient experience in hospitals. Cox Prosight is an affordable, customizable solution that seamlessly integrates with wayfinding and other IT solutions. 

Discover why hospitals around the country are taking steps to improve their HCAHPS scores with Cox Prosight. Contact our team today to learn more about Cox Prosight and how it will benefit your hospital.