By Chief Arthur Cotoni
“Nobody listened to me. They didn’t care about me.”
Take a survey of patients and this statement often comes up as the biggest complaint of their ambulance service experience.
Why? Most of the time the reason is because paramedics and EMTs, like anyone else who’s done a job over and over again, can get into routines when responding to calls. They’re simply on the scene of an emergency, focused on doing their job — whether it’s saving a life or treating an injury.
In EMS however, it’s important to remember that the focus of each and every call is serving the patient. From the time you take the callto the time you treat and transport, the patient’s concerns and well-being need to be at the core of every decision.
Listening and taking an interest in what the patient has to say is the point from which everything else flows.
With that in mind, here are five ways to improve patient satisfaction of ambulance services:
1. Train dispatch to be courteous and patient on every call
It’s important to remember that a patient’s interaction starts with the phone call. Dispatchers need to always be attentive, calm, and reassuring. Their interaction sets the tone for the patient’s entire experience with the ambulance service.
2. Listen
Sounds simple, but it’s amazing how we can forget to listen while we’re rushing to arrive to a call and preparing a patient for transport. This single, important lesson is particularly important if a patient is in pain. Being aware of the pain they are describing can help you manage it. This can determine how you move a patient or how quickly, and your administration of pain medication.
3. Keep a patient informed of what you are doing, and why
Whether you’re establishing an IV, putting a collar around their neck, or simply applying a bandage, always talk to your patient and explain to them what’s happening in simple, everyday language. Remember — what might be a routine call for you is a big event for them. This may be their first and only encounter with an ambulance. Put yourself in their shoes. Empathy goes a long way in making them feel comfortable.
4. Always be concerned for a patient’s privacy and modesty
Covering a patient appropriately can go a long way in making them feel more comfortable as they leave the scene of an emergency. It keeps them warm, and makes them feel less exposed to onlookers, which in turn helps keep them calm.
5. Work together
Cooperation takes many forms. Paramedics and EMTs should make sure they have their act together before they enter any scene. Having organized and clean equipment, communicating with one another and working as a team, they will will help you effectively and efficiently help a patient through an emergency. The experience for the patient should be seamless. Don’t diminish your patient’s perception of your care by having multiple EMS providers ask the same question over and over.
During a call, ambulance personnel should make every effort to honor a patient’s request for a specific hospital. As long as the patient’s condition permits it, take the time to find out where they’re regularly treated and transport them there. Even if it means driving them further, this can make a significant difference in the patient’s experience and ongoing care.
After an emergency is over, provide patients with support in billing and administration, and work with them to find out if insurance covers their call. Help to make the paperwork process as easy as possible.
Ultimately, patient satisfaction is about offering them your empathy and respect. Treat every patient as if they are a member of your own family, and you’ll find all of these tips fall into place automatically.