Health Care Marketing Learnscape 3: Patient Satisfaction
Health Care Marketing Learnscape 3 FINAL December 12, 2012 1
Patient Satisfaction Introduction:
The main Urgent Care Facility within Bright Road Health Care System has experienced a marked
decrease in patient satisfaction. As a marketing consultant, you will evaluate patient survey results and
meet a couple of staff members. The patient experience evaluation elements include clinical, process
and environmental elements. Based on this information, you will recommend operation changes, if
appropriate.
Characters:
1. James Melbourne, Director of Urgent Care Facilities within the Bright Road Health Care System
2. Lisa Leon, Receptionist at Urgent Care
3. Therese Holt, Nurse Practitioner at Urgent Care
Locations:
Scene 1: Office of James Melbourne
Scene 2: Student’s office
Scene 3: Urgent care waiting area
Scene 4: Urgent Care Receptionist’s Desk
Scene 5: Urgent Care employee break room
Scene 6: Student’s office
Health Care Marketing Learnscape 3: Patient Satisfaction
Health Care Marketing Learnscape 3 FINAL December 12, 2012 2
Scene 1: Meeting with the Director of Urgent Care Facilities
In this scene, the student, a Marketing Consultant, meets with James Melbourne in his office. James is
concerned about the latest survey results for the urgent care facility and has asked the student to
evaluate the results, the urgent care facility, patient and employee processes and the patient
experience.
Location James Melbourne’s office
Scene setup James is across the desk from the student.
On-screen characters James Melbourne
Off-screen characters N/A
On screen text: Your meeting with James Melbourne, Director of Urgent Care Facilities within the Bright
Road Health Care System is about to begin…
JAMES Thank you for meeting with me. I am looking forward to getting your input on
how we can improve our urgent care facility.
**STUDENT OPTION 1 That’s why I’m here. Tell me about the project.
STUDENT OPTION 2 Absolutely. Tell me a little bit about what’s going on.
Student can choose either option to continue.
JAMES RESPONSE 1 Our latest patient survey results show a decline in patient satisfaction in one of
our busiest Urgent Care facilities. Of course we want patients to seek treatment
from their Primary Care Physicians. But if they need to use an Urgent Care
facility, we want it to be ours. And, we want them to have a positive
experience. Otherwise, they will most likely tell their friends and family, either
by word of mouth, or on social media outlets. That’s not good for our brand.
STUDENT OPTION 1 Is it just the one facility?
**STUDENT OPTION 2 Is this decline a trend?
Student can choose either option to continue.
JAMES It’s just this particular facility, it seems. Patient satisfaction ratings at our other
facilities are within the range we expect. Quite frankly, this was a surprise.
STUDENT OPTION 1 What are your initial thoughts about why patient satisfaction has declined at
Health Care Marketing Learnscape 3: Patient Satisfaction
Health Care Marketing Learnscape 3 FINAL December 12, 2012 3
that facility?
STUDENT OPTION 2 What recent changes have been made to the facility that may contribute to the
patients’ overall experience?
STUDENT OPTION 3 Can you share the latest patient survey results with me?
Student must click all three options to continue.
JAMES RESPONSE 1 Well, most patients don’t want to be there in the first place, so that makes
patient satisfaction challenging from the start. I want to look at that particular
facility from the patients’ perspective and see where we can improve.
Response 1 kicks student back to options.
JAMES RESPONSE 2 We have made several recent changes at that facility. First, because of patient
volume, our triage nurses don’t assess every patient immediately. We have a
list of more serious symptoms, and the receptionist notifies the triage nurse if a
patient presents any of these symptoms. This has allowed the triage nurses to
spend more time in the treatment rooms. The downside is that all the other
patients have to wait a little longer before being triaged. Second, we stopped
our nurse follow-up calls to patients the day after their visit. It allows nurses to
spend more time with patients, and less time on the phone.
Response 2 kicks student back to options.
JAMES RESPONSE 3 Sure, I will email the latest survey results to you as soon as we’re through here.
**STUDENT OPTION 1 Has a gap analysis been done to identify specific areas of concern?
STUDENT OPTION 2 Do you know the differences between patient expectations and staff
expectations?
Student can choose either option to proceed.
JAMES RESPONSE 1 Good question. This is one of the reasons I am reaching out to you. I think the
survey results will give you a better understanding. Patients have a certain
expectation about the level of care they receive. Our staff has their own opinion
about the quality of care they deliver.
STUDENT OPTION 1 I will need to identify this gap in expectations in order to make some
recommendations to you.
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Health Care Marketing Learnscape 3 FINAL December 12, 2012 4
JAMES RESPONSE I’m interested to see the gap between what the patient expects and what they
are actually experiencing at the facility. This will help us pinpoint specific things
we need to improve.
STUDENT OPTION 1 That covers their experience at the facility. What about the other piece?
JAMES RESPONSE 1 What other piece?
Response 1 kicks student back to options
STUDENT OPTION 2 What about the post-visit experience? The follow up calls?
JAMES RESPONSE 2 As I mentioned earlier, we eliminated the nurse follow-up calls. Is that
something we should reconsider? Also, some patients noticed they received
bills in the mail they weren’t expecting. How can we better manage that?
STUDENT This is something that I will research once I get the survey results and can
evaluate the patient feedback.
Add to student’s notes:
Client would like a gap analysis done to determine the difference in a patient’s expectations and
the actual patient experience.
Research the need for follow up nurse phone calls to patients the following day.
Research how the change from 100% of patients being triaged to only those with more serious
symptoms plays a role in patient’s satisfaction.
Research ways to decrease surprise costs to patients.
Identify the process of seeing a patient from the time they enter the facility to when the billing
is complete.
Visit the urgent care facility and make notes of the waiting area and treatment rooms.
JAMES RESPONSE I’ll send them after our meeting. Is there anything that you need from me now
to help you get started?
Student must select both options to continue.
STUDENT OPTION 1 Have any employee satisfaction surveys been conducted to indicate their level
of satisfaction and motivation for the work?
JAMES RESPONSE 1 No, we have not implemented an employee satisfaction survey. I think this
would be an important component of your research. Studies show that
employees who are highly satisfied with their jobs deliver high quality service.
STUDENT OPTION 2 Can you help me to arrange a meeting with some staff members at the urgent
care facility?
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Health Care Marketing Learnscape 3 FINAL December 12, 2012 5
JAMES RESPONSE 2 Absolutely. I will contact the manager at the facility and arrange for a meeting
with you, a receptionist, and one of our medical staff members. That will give
you a good idea of the processes from reception through treatment. And
because you’re an objective party, you will probably get candid responses
about their job satisfaction.
Add additional bullet points to student’s notes:
Remember that the patient determines the level of care that they expect
Explore ways to get employee feedback
STUDENT Thank you for this information, and for setting up a meeting with the team.
JAMES RESPONSE 1 You know where to find me if need any more information. I am very motivated
to get results that will help to improve patient satisfaction.
End of Scene 1
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Scene 2: Patient Survey Results
In this scene, the student receives the patient survey results from James.
Location Student’s office
Scene setup The student is facing their computer.
On-screen characters None
Off-screen characters None
On screen text: You have some time between meetings so you check to see if James emailed you the
survey results…
Note: The student can click the email icon, and the inbox appears with a message from James. The
student can click to open it.
EMAIL 1 FROM
JAMES
Hello,
Here are the survey results as promised. Review them and let me know if you
have any questions.
[link to open survey results document]
James
Note: When student clicks the link, a document with survey results appears. Asset:
Patient_Survey_Results. When student closes the document, the email inbox appears again, with
another message from James.
On screen text: You have received another email from James…
EMAIL 2 FROM
JAMES
I set up a meeting for you to talk with Lisa Leon, a receptionist and Therese Holt,
a Nurse Practitioner at our urgent care facility. They are both available to meet
with you on Thursday at 1:00 during their lunch break.
Thank you,
James
End of Scene 2
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Scene 3: The Urgent Care Waiting Room
In this scene, the student evaluates the waiting area for the urgent care facility prior to interacting with
the receptionist.
Location Urgent Care waiting room
Scene setup The waiting room virtual location is visible. The waiting room looks a little
dated and doesn’t look that comfortable or inviting. All the seats are filled, so
there is nowhere to sit.
On-screen characters None
Off-screen characters None
On-screen text: You’ve arrived in the waiting room. What are your initial thoughts? Make your
observations in your Notes area, then click “Talk to Receptionist” when you’re finished.
Note: The student should click Talk to Receptionist to move to the next scene.
End of Scene 3
Health Care Marketing Learnscape 3: Patient Satisfaction
Health Care Marketing Learnscape 3 FINAL December 12, 2012 8
Scene 4: The Receptionist
The student is now in front of the receptionist window. The receptionist is there, but doesn’t
immediately greet the student.
Location Urgent Care Reception Desk
Scene setup Lisa Leon is behind the desk, facing the student.
On-screen characters Lisa Leon, receptionist
Off-screen characters None
On-screen text: It doesn’t look like the receptionist notices you. You’d better get her attention…
STUDENT Excuse me…
LISA [Looks up, seemingly bothered by the interruption] Can I help you?
STUDENT Hello. I’m here to meet with Lisa Leon and Therese Holt.
LISA RESPONSE [Still not vey cheerful] And you are…
On Screen Text: Type your name here.
Note: A box appears in which the student can enter their name.
LISA [Cheers up] Oh yes, you’ve been working with James. I’m Lisa. I was told that
you were coming. Let me call for someone to cover the phones and I’ll let
Therese know you are here.
End of Scene 4
Health Care Marketing Learnscape 3: Patient Satisfaction
Health Care Marketing Learnscape 3 FINAL December 12, 2012 9
Scene 5: Meeting with Employees
In this scene, the student will be meeting with Lisa Leon, the Receptionist, and Therese Holt, a Nurse
Practitioner, to learn more about the processes and experiences from the employees’ viewpoint. This
information will be combined with the survey results sent from James Melbourne to develop a data
analysis and recommendation for the urgent care facility.
Location Urgent Care break room
Scene setup Lisa and Therese are both sitting at the table, facing the student.
On-screen characters Lisa Leon and Therese Holt
Off-screen characters None
On screen text: Your meeting with Lisa Leon, receptionist, and Therese Holt, nurse practitioner, in the
break room is about to begin…
LISA LEON
[To student]
This is Therese Holt, one of our nurse practitioners.
**STUDENT OPTION 1 Thank you both for taking your lunch hour meet with me.
STUDENT OPTION 2 I appreciate your time and I know that you are busy, so I will keep this brief.
Student can select either response to continue.
THERESE James told us you’re working to find ways to improve the overall patient
experience at our facility.
STUDENT
Yes. Can you tell me about the process patients go through when they visit your
facility?
THERESE Lisa, why don’t you start with this one since you are the first person who sees
the patient?
LISA Sure, alright. Sometimes patients call ahead of time and let us know they are
coming but often our patients are just walk ins. They check in with me and I
begin gathering their information.
THERESE Pardon me for interrupting, but if the patient presents more serious symptoms
such as shortness of breath or confusion, Lisa will call for the triage nurse to
come out right away to evaluate the patient before taking any information for
the patient chart. And of course, if they have life-threatening symptoms, we get
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Health Care Marketing Learnscape 3 FINAL December 12, 2012 10
them transported to an emergency room.
LISA Good point, yes. But if that isn’t the case, I continue asking them for the
information to complete their chart. Then I ask them to have a seat and wait to
be called.
STUDENT OPTION 1
Do you explain cost to the patients at this time?
STUDENT OPTION 2
What do you typically tell patients about treatment costs or billing?
Student can choose either option to get a response, but must select the correct option to continue.
LISA RESPONSE 1 Yes.
LISA RESPONSE 2 I tell them what their co-pay is and collect it at that time.
STUDENT OPTION 1
What types of questions or responses do you get from the patients at this
point?
**STUDENT OPTION 2 Are most patients cooperative?
Student can choose either option to continue.
LISA RESPONSE 1
Most are pretty cooperative. Of course they always want to know the wait time
or how many people are in front of them, things like that. But sometimes I get
patients who don’t even want to give me the information to complete their
chart for the nurses and doctor. They sort of just demand to see a doctor. But
that isn’t too often.
THERESE RESPONSE 1 Lisa does a great job as the gatekeeper. People don’t want to be here and Lisa
sometimes has to take the brunt of the intolerance that goes along with that.
Student must select all three of the following options in order to continue. Responses are shown directly
below the option.
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Health Care Marketing Learnscape 3 FINAL December 12, 2012 11
STUDENT OPTION 1
Lisa, what are typical patient comments that you hear in the waiting area?
LISA RESPONSE 1
Oh gosh, I hear it all. Patients want to know what is taking so long. They want to
know if there is another area to wait because they don’t want to catch
something they don’t already have. Sometimes we have an influx of patients all
at once and they get impatient standing in line waiting for me to help the
patients in front of them.
STUDENT OPTION 2
Therese, what are some of the patient comments that you receive in the
treatment area?
THERESE RESPONSE 2 The “not wanting to wait” spills over into the treatment area, too. Once I take a
patient back, they expect immediate treatment and sometimes get impatient as
I take history and vitals. Sometimes patients want a complete diagnosis and we
can’t always give that to them. We do not have the facility or equipment to run
every type of test to make a definitive diagnosis on some things. I don’t think
patients always realize this.
STUDENT OPTION 3 What is the most satisfying part of your job?
LISA RESPONSE 3
I really like my job but I get overwhelmed when there are a lot of patients and
they become difficult to deal with. My motivation comes from being part of a
team that is there to help people who are ill or injured.
THERESE RESPONSE 3 I agree with Lisa. I would say that I am very satisfied with team that we have
here. We all work together very well.
STUDENT OPTION 4 What would you like to see done differently at this facility?
LISA RESPONSE 4
I think the biggest thing would be to provide more privacy for our patients. In
addition to their personal information, I ask a lot of medical questions. I don’t
think the patients like giving answers that can be overheard by others in the
waiting area.
THERESE RESPONSE 4 It’s the same in the treatment area. We have some rooms with doors, but to
accommodate the large number of patients during busy times, we have
treatment areas with curtains. This does not provide privacy for talking with
patients about their medical issues.
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Health Care Marketing Learnscape 3 FINAL December 12, 2012 12
I also think we all need to remember that we are in the customer service
business. I would like to see Bright Road offer more training programs in areas
of leadership and customer service. I think we all do the best that we can, but a
little training or reminders may go a long way.
STUDENT
Can either of you tell me about interaction with management and the type of
feedback that you receive?
LISA RESPONSE 1
I don’t really get much feedback from anyone. I have my annual reviews but
that is about it. I assume that everything is okay if I don’t hear anything, but it
would be nice to get some sort of feedback, so I know the areas in which I can
improve.
THERESE RESPONSE 1 I would say that the medical staff could also use a little more feedback. We
have monthly meetings with management to review processes and updates.
But it seems that a few of us meet and the information doesn’t go beyond the
meeting. It’s a waste of information, and our time.
STUDENT Thank you both for taking the time to meet with me today.
LISA
You’re welcome. It is nice to have somebody actually take an interest in things
from our perspective.
THERESE Yes, you are welcome. If I can think of anything else to add, I will certainly call
you and feel free to contact me if you have additional questions.
End of Scene 5
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Health Care Marketing Learnscape 3 FINAL December 12, 2012 13
Scene 6: Your Recommendation
In this scene, the student will email their recommendations for improvement to James Melbourne in an
email.
Location Student’s office
Scene setup Student if facing the computer
On-screen characters None
Off-screen characters None
On screen text: Analyze the information you’ve gathered in an organized manner and create a 250-500-
word recommendation to James Melbourne. Your recommendation should include:
A service delivery gap analysis and how to create customer value at the urgent care facility.
The role the frontline personnel and their role in high quality service.
Specific suggestions on how to improve the total patient experience at the urgent care facility.
Note: A blank email is on screen, with the To field populated with James Melbourne. The Subject reads:
Confidential: Suggestions for Urgent Care Facility Improvements. The student types a recommendation,
and clicks Send to send the email. On screen text appears when the message has been sent.
On screen text: Your recommendation has been sent.
END OF LEARNSCAPE 3
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