Hearing the Virtual Voice of the Patient

New York-Presbyterian Hospital (NYP) currently mails satisfaction surveys to patients in order to guide service-improvement efforts. Seeking to increase the number of patients surveyed and hear the voice of as many patients as possible, NYP had planned to start distributing surveys via email; however, NYP had not consistently collected patient email addresses. To assist NYP, the Capstone team identified best practices for implementing e-surveys, including effective methods of patient email capture and how to educate staff and patients about e-surveys. The team also conducted interviews to identify staff-, patient-, and information system- related barriers to consistent email address collection. The Capstone team’s recommendations included standardizing the email collection process at patient access points, effectively training front-line staff to respond to patient concerns, and ensuring interface between all relevant hospital information systems. The team also identified best practices for increasing response rates regardless of survey delivery method, including personalizing surveys, using the patient’s preferred language, and strategically utilizing email notifications and reminders.