Lisa Frain
Apr 23 2024
Reading Time: 3 minutes
In post-acute care, patient feedback is invaluable. It provides insights into the quality of care delivered, highlights areas for improvement, and ultimately enhances patient satisfaction. However, obtaining patient surveys can be challenging when using printed surveys and mailing them to patients. To address this, post-acute care providers must implement effective patient outreach strategies and digital tools to encourage patients to participate in surveys. Here are several approaches to improve survey return rates:
Simplify the survey process: Complex and lengthy surveys can deter patients from participating. Providers should streamline surveys by using clear language, concise questions and user-friendly formats. By making the feedback process straightforward and accessible, patients are more likely to engage and complete the feedback form.
CitusHealth’s drag and drop forms make it easy to create and edit surveys. Plus, you can add in advanced features such as conditional logic. And with our automatic form send feature, your survey can be sent to as many patients as you need.
Offer multiple feedback channels: Recognizing that patients have different communication preferences, providers should offer various channels for survey participation, such as a HIPAA-secure link sent via text message, email or mobile app. By providing options, providers accommodate diverse patient needs and increase the likelihood of survey participation.
“On average, CitusHealth customers achieve a return rate of over 70% simply due to the convenience and ease of use, but we do have customers receiving more than a 90% response rate. The more you communicate to your customers about your survey process, the higher your response rate will be.” – Terri Embry, vice president, Customer Success, CitusHealth
Personalize patient outreach: Engage patients on a personal level by addressing them by name and explaining the importance of their feedback. Personalized communication shows that their input is valued and encourages active participation in the survey process. And pre-filled form fields such as name and date will save the patient time and provide a more convenient experience.
Engage staff: Staff members play a pivotal role in promoting survey participation. Providers should train staff to emphasize the importance of patient feedback and encourage patients to complete surveys. By fostering a culture that values patient input, providers can cultivate higher survey return rates.
Consider the timing: Timing is crucial when soliciting feedback from patients. Providers should send surveys shortly after a visit or discharge when the patient’s experience is still fresh in their minds. By capturing feedback at the right moment, providers receive more accurate and relevant insights.
Keep in mind that sending a survey on a holiday, or immediately before or after, could hinder your response rate. Have staff communicate when the patient can expect the survey, whether that is in the next 1-2 days, or will be delayed due to a holiday.
Send reminders: Friendly reminders via email or text message can prompt patients who have not yet completed the survey to do so. These reminders should be polite and non-intrusive, serving as gentle nudges to encourage participation.
Act on feedback: Patients are more likely to take part in future surveys if they see tangible improvements resulting from their feedback. Providers should actively listen to patient concerns, implement necessary changes, and communicate these improvements back to patients. By demonstrating responsiveness to feedback, providers reinforce the value of patient input and foster trust and engagement.
In conclusion, enhancing patient survey return rates requires a multifaceted approach that prioritizes simplicity, accessibility and engagement. By implementing these strategies, post-acute care providers can effectively capture patient feedback, drive continuous improvement and ultimately deliver higher quality care. Schedule a demo to see how surveys are built and used in CitusHealth.
