Policy Evaluation – Standardization of Communication to Policy Evaluation

POLICY EVALUATION7HealthcareProgram/PolicyEvaluationStandardization of Communication to Increase Patient Satisfaction and SafetyDescriptionThis policy was created an implemented to streamline communication between staff toincrease overall patient satisfaction and safety. Studies done by the Joint Commission have shownthat the root cause of sentinel events is a breakdown in communication (Krautscheid, 2008). Thepolicy utilizes communication aides that create a standard handoff procedure for nurse-nurseexchanges and nurse-patient communication (Krautscheid, 2008).How was the success ofthe program or policymeasured?The success of the program was measured using the Hospital Consumer Assessment ofHealthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) scores comparisons pre and post-policyimplementation.How many people werereached by the programor policy selected? Howmuch of an impact wasThe policy was implemented hospital-wide affected thousands of patients. Enactment of thepolicy created a significant increase in patient satisfaction related to the patient’s perceivedcommunication framework (Scott, 2012).Previous studies at similar facilities showed a one-yearcommitment to the structured communication policy resulted in a 30% increase in patient