Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) Cycle -Improving Patient Satisfaction through Clear Explanation of Medical Information

Aims (What are we trying to accomplish?)

This PDSA project focuses on effective communication of medical information to increase patient satisfaction. When fully informed of their diagnosis, treatment alternatives, and care plans, patients are more active participants in decision-making and more compliant in following care plans (O'Sullivan, 2023). Our target for this cycle is to increase the patients' satisfaction rate with their clinicians' clarity of medical information from 70% to 90% in the next three months.

Measure (How will we know the change is an improvement?)

The improvement will be assessed through patient satisfaction surveys. The surveys will be administered after the patient visit. For clarity of explanation, understanding of the instructions for medications, and recall of information discussed in the visit, specific items will be included in the surveys. Short interviews with patients will be conducted as qualitative feedback to understand barriers to comprehension. The baseline data will be compared to post-intervention data to quantify the change attributable to the intervention. Pre- and post-intervention satisfaction scores will be the primary measure of success.

Changes (What specific change can we make that will result in improvement?)

Priority interventions consist of the implementation of the Teach-Back Method, an evidence-based communication strategy whereby healthcare providers ask patients to restate information in their own words as a way of assessing understanding (Murugesu et al., 2022). Additional strategies involve the use of simple language, the provision of written summaries of the discussions, and the use of visual aids. To ensure consistent application, training on the principles of health literacy and communication skill training will be offered to providers.

PLAN

I plan to

The Teach-Back Method will be implemented with one group of providers in the outpatient clinic. Providers will attend a 30-minute training session on effectively utilizing teach-back during consultations. The aim is to promote the use of the technique in every patient interaction during the week.

I hope this produces

An increase in patients' satisfaction scores on the clarity of the medical information given and an improvement in patients' recall of their treatment plans. The target is a 15–20% increase in pilot group satisfaction ratings compared to baseline.

Steps to execute:

1. Select two physicians and two nurses to participate in the pilot cycle.
2. Provide a brief teach-back training session with demonstration videos and printed guidance.
3. Implement the technique for one week with all patients seen by participating providers.
4. Gather patient feedback by way of a brief satisfaction questionnaire right after a visit.
5. Compare post-intervention satisfaction results against baseline data.

DO

Throughout the week-long assessment, the designated facilitators utilized the teach-back technique with selected patients. The feedback indicated that the bulk of the study participants were welcoming to having the information repeated back to them, with a few others indicating that they were grateful for the extra effort made to guarantee understanding. On the other hand, some facilitators indicated that the barriers to consistent use of the technique were constrained by a timeframe. Smaller changes were implemented, such as narrowing the teach back to the most important information that needed to be conveyed in the discussion, to the instructions of the medications, and post-care follow-up.  

STUDY

The post survey revealed that the value of patients having a satisfactory medical experience increased. For instance, there is a jump in the percentage of patients indicating that they understood them, from 72% to 88% of patients reporting there was a positive change in perception. Survey comments indicated that patients felt “more confident” and “less anxious” after the doctor’s visits. Simply put, there was a significant change in perception after the visits in relation to the patients. The data further indicated that the use of the teach-back method also improved the overall communication experience. Docs said that the teach-back technique took the most time to master, after which it was easier.

ACT

Informed by these insights, the intervention was applied with slight changes for broader application. The next cycle will involve all providers in the clinic for the expanded use of the teach-back method. It will integrate other strategies, such as including discharge papers and education materials simplified to a sixth-grade reading level (Cooper et al., 2021). More practice on time management will lead to a better curriculum on sustainability training for providers. If optimistic projections are validated, the practice will look to embed teach-back notes into the EHRs for systematic and responsible documentation.

Conclusion

In the PDSA cycle that was used for the study, many of the communications strategies that were used, in particular the Teach-Back Method, were found to enhance patient comprehension of the information and the level of satisfaction with the care they received. During multiple PDSA cycles of… planning, imagining, assessing, and improving, the objectives that are pursued by the healthcare teams are improving the level of health literacy and the outcomes of health, as well as the provider–patient relationship, which is the main thrust of the PDSA, which ensures that the health outcomes are improved.