Been There Done That (Leffersbee #1) - Hope Ellis Page 0,30
be possible. But it does allow us to specifically target patients in surrounding towns who are, for example, less likely to come back for post-surgical visits because of constraints with transportation. Our preference will always be for patients to return to the hospital, and we will continue to advocate for that and offer supportive services that accommodate those who require greater assistance. But this application offers the opportunity for earlier, more frequent check-ins. And we can easily identify other applications outside of surgical contexts, say in primary care.”
My phone vibrated. I snuck a glance and read a text message from Allie. She sat across from me, nodding along with whatever Gould was saying, her face placid.
I should be back in my office, having my usual fantasy of Idris Elba bending me over my desk. Watch, this meeting will be email-worthy.
I suppressed a snort.
“So, it’s FaceTime for patients,” Allie said, face deadpan. “It’s an app connecting patients with their doctors via video. Sounds like old news to me.”
Peter’s brows pulled low. “Telemedicine itself is not new, but this application allows for seamless integration with our own medical records. The application and related software would be branded with the hospital’s name. The record of the call, any prescribed medications? All indexed on our end, allowing our clinicians access to what transpired while managing that patient’s ongoing care.”
I heard a few murmurs from the suits at the other end of the table.
Peter nodded. “We’re opting for twenty-four-hour support. In the event one of our clinicians is unable to respond to a patient within the specified time frame, someone from Mr. Rossi’s pool of highly qualified clinicians will take the case.”
His gaze shifted to me. “Mr. Rossi said you were very helpful, and for that we thank you.”
Of course he did.
“We agree that your work, and our application of it here in the hospital, has really helped us turn the tide with our declining patient satisfaction scores. We all certainly credit you with that.”
He gave a decisive nod, then began clapping. His effort was slow to catch on as others belatedly realized he intended to applaud me.
I didn’t react but did brace myself. I’d been in academia long enough to know that flattery came right before being voluntold, and ladies and gentlemen, I was just about to be voluntolded.
“As we talked to Mr. Rossi, we realized that, while we were familiar with the nature and quality of training our clinicians receive, we have no idea what communication training his pool clinicians have undergone.” His voice lowered as he aimed a sidelong glance at Allie. “After working so hard to bring up our scores, the last thing any of us would want is to have our survey scores go down because of unsatisfactory interactions with pool clinicians.”
Allie sat up straight. I watched as any last trace of Idris-borne lust vanished from her eyes.
Shit. Shit shit shit.
Peter had known just how to hit his mark, how to play this, just what button to push.
Allie and her team in Patient Experience were responsible for ensuring patient satisfaction scores for doctor and nurse communication remained high. HCAHP, or Hospital Consumer Assessment of Health care Providers and Systems, held far more sway than an average Yelp review. The survey measured patient satisfaction among a number of categories, including patients’ communication about medicine and their overall communication with doctors and nurses. The scores were public and easily accessible to the discerning consumer. And the results were tied to the hospital’s funding from Medicare. Better scores equaled better reimbursement, and that was only one of the many metrics we were concerned about when it came to patient satisfaction.
“We all know,” Gould said, “that the hospital is in a precarious position right now. We’re a community hospital that prides itself on our outreach. With increasing costs and the record losses we’re facing now because of unpaid balances, the hospital is struggling to stay afloat. Offering an incentive like this makes us a more attractive option, but we can’t take the risk of lowering our patient satisfaction scores or our funding.”
“Okay, wait,” I said, fighting panic as I watched Allie’s face grow more and more stiff. I saw where this was headed, and if Allie threw her weight behind Peter Gould’s not-yet-spoken mandate, with his convincing argument in play, I was done for. I’d have no time to apply for more grants. I’d have no time for my own research. I’d be stuck in training hell. And then what would happen to my