Health

HEALTH • Fall 2017 21 A MAJOR ANNIVERSARY... A NEW BUILDING... A MAJOR COMPANY MILESTONE Whether it's the celebration of a major anniversary or the opening of a new headquarters, Worcester Business Journal's Custom Publishing Division can help you create a custom magazine for your business. Our division's top flight team of writers and designers can help you tell your story – and make your business look great! Based on our unique publishing model, it's surprisingly affordable. Can we create a CUSTOM magazine for you? Call WBJ Custom Corporate Project Director Christine Juetten at 508-755-8004 ext. 270. Worcester Business Journal WBJ Custom Publishing Division Celebrating 50 Years of Growth, Jobs and Development 1 50 Years 1 9 6 5 - 2 0 1 5 C E L E B R A T I N G An advertising supplement to the Worcester Business Journal Shrewsbury Public Library: Building the Next Chapter SHREWSBURY Building the Next Chapter public library bers," Scornavacca said. One resource UMass Memorial offers its provider offices is a class called Crucial Conversations that sup- ports listening skills and relationship-building. Some simple changes in how medi- cal professionals interact with patients can have snow- ball effects on their health. "Even a staff member can really sway the influence of how that patient not only experiences health care but also seeks out health care," he said. "If you have a bad experience and you have a chronic disease that really needs to be addressed, it's not uncommon for peo- ple to just stay home. Then it's much more difficult to help them when they're three steps down the path." Quality incentives Linda Coccola, who oversees the Patient Experience department at Worcester-based Reliant Medical Group, said the organization uses patient experience data, largely from its own surveys, to influence decisions at all levels. Reports on the topic go to the whole leadership team every quarter, and the data is part of every employee's annual evaluation. Employees who do a particularly good job of providing a good patient experience may receive awards and public acknowledgement. For physi- cians, it also affects their compensa- tion, and the group makes data for each provider available to the public on its website. "Every new employee, at whatever level they come into our organization, gets an intensive training on the Reliant experience," Coccola said. The focus on patient experience even extends to the physical design of new offices. Reliant uses patient feedback to work with architects. Coccola said the changes can be as simple as setting up exam rooms with mirrors and having patients be weighed in the rooms instead of in the hall. When providers or staff need help, Reliant provides peer coaches and training. It uses videos on empathy in health care created by an outside orga- nization, followed by workshops where providers can talk about real- life experiences. "We have to help providers and staff have the difficult conversations," she said. Given the limited time primary care doctors often have to talk with patients, Reliant also offers them a communications framework to help them make the most of each visit, including clearly introducing them- selves and their role, and making sure to explain the timeline for getting test results back and moving forward on treatment. "We, just by definition, are going to have a limited time with patients," Coccola said. "How can we manage that time using effective communica- tion? That's the challenge." A higher standard Since MHQP started collecting and sharing patient experience data, Rabson said, there have been big changes in health care. "I think we're always raising the bar on what we expect from our primary care physicians, which has its costs in terms of burnout and other issues that are happening," she said. "But, on the other hand, the care has improved drastically." Rabson acknowledges that doctor's offices face some serious barriers to providing consistently good patient experiences. Some work with a large number of patients who need help in languages other than English, or who have difficulty with transportation to their appointments, for example. Providers also face the continuing challenge of patients who want a par- ticular treatment—perhaps something they've seen advertised on televi- sion—that isn't necessarily appropriate for their situation. But Rabson said the solution isn't to either provide an inappropriate treatment or to leave the patient feeling like their voice wasn't heard. Instead, she said, doc- tors need to continue getting better at communicating clearly. "There's ways to say 'No, this is not the appropriate care for you,' and be empathetic," she said. "Patients want what's right for them. They don't want what's unnecessary." Primary care experiences keep getting better for Massachusetts patients, and in many aspects of care, Central Massachusetts providers are beating statewide scores. Local feedback Integration of care 2015 2017 Statewide 85.7 86.3 Reliant Medical Group 85.8 87.5 Umass Memorial Medical Center-Based Practices 84.2 86.2 Knowledge of patient 2015 2017 Statewide 88.7 89.3 Reliant Medical Group 88.5 90.4 Adult Behavioral Health 2015 2017 Statewide 55.9 61.1 Heywood Hospital and Heywood PHO 58.4 66.7 UMass Memorial Community Medical Group 56 63.5 Office Staff 2015 2017 Statewide 88.4 89.3 Reliant Medical Group 91.1 92.1 Organizational Access 2015 2017 Statewide 81.9 82.6 UMass Memorial Community Medical Group 83.6 85 Self-Management Support 2015 2017 Statewide 54.8 56.9 Athol Memorial Hospital Physicians 56.1 62.2 Source: Massachusetts Health Quality Partners, 2017 Commercial Patient Experience Survey - Adult Barbra Rabson, CEO, Massachusetts Health Quality Partners Dr. Kristen Newsom of Reliant Medical Group performs an exam H P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y

• Cover