With more than 50 locations and nearly 100 facilities, the AMEOS Group is considered one of the largest healthcare providers in the German-speaking region. In this context, AMEOS clearly summarizes under the motto “We work for your health” what is important to the healthcare provider in its daily activities – the well-being of each individual patient. The company is prepared to tread innovative paths to achieve this: As a pioneer of digitization in healthcare, AMEOS offers innovative products and services based on state-of-the-art technologies. In doing so, the company strives for a cross-sector, seamlessly and digitally networked organization.
Transparency and traceability of periodic patient surveys put to the test
Patient satisfaction is a key indicator of their well-being. AMEOS surveys this regularly every 3 years together with Qualitätskliniken.de within the framework of 360° surveys. This survey instrument reached its limitations due to the rapid growth and dynamic developments of the AMEOS Group in recent years. Each new establishment led to an increase in the preparation and evaluation effort of the patient surveys. It became increasingly challenging for decision-makers to maintain an overall view of all locations. In addition, the time delays made it difficult to track the effects of quality-enhancing measures. As a result, AMEOS was looking for a complementary solution that would combine the results of the patient surveys in a continuous management tool. At the same time, this solution should enable the derivation and monitoring of quality-enhancing measures and make an additional contribution towards optimizing patient safety.
Comprehensive and integrative: How a central platform unites monitoring and management of patient satisfaction
With these clear ideas, the company turned to Spectos. The decisive factor for this decision was Spectos’ approach based on methods of agile project management, which allows customer requirements to be implemented and tested dynamically during the development process.
As a result of the collaboration, a multi-channel approach was launched to survey patients on important parameters of satisfaction during their hospital stay. In addition to feedback terminals at each location, the survey can be accessed via QR code by smartphone and tablet or on a computer. Access keys ensure that the survey can only be carried out once per patient. The classic paper questionnaire is also retained. Thanks to the Spectos digitization service, the paper-based data is available within a week.
All results from the patient surveys are compiled automatically in a central platform, the Spectos Real-Time Performance Management™ Suite. In the easily accessible web application, patient feedback is presented in predefined patient satisfaction quality indicators (KPIs). The daily updated dashboards enable decision makers and quality officers to perform continuous portfolio analyses. Specially developed filter functions enable evaluations according to specific requirements, structures, roles and functions. Newly added sites can be easily integrated at any time. In addition, the integrated ticket system allows incoming feedback and concerns to be systematically processed by the departments concerned.
Continuous and uniform quality management at all AMEOS sites
Since using the multimedia system for continuous patient satisfaction surveys, the hospital group has seen a significant increase in the response rate to patient surveys. With the help of real-time data visualization in a central and web-based application, decision-makers can access daily updated reports at any time and from any location. Quality-enhancing measures can be derived immediately and their effectiveness tracked continuously. At the same time, the healthcare provider benefits from the simple possibility of cross-departmental comparisons. Quality management officers use the ticket system to distribute specific tasks to individual departments. In this way, they not only ensure a uniform approach to complaints within the organization, but also have an overview of the cause and type of complaints and the processing status at all times.
In accordance with its corporate philosophy, the AMEOS Group has succeeded in taking a further step towards transparent quality presentation in the healthcare sector with the continuous patient survey. Due to the positive experience with Spectos, the healthcare provider decided to intensify the joint cooperation. The flexible expandability of the Spectos Real-Time Performance Management™ Suite turned out to be of particular added value. At the end of 2018, a complaint management solution tailored for AMEOS was integrated into the platform. In 2020, a CIRS reporting system, a solution for internal quality audits, and a module for material inventory for hygiene in connection with Covid-19 were added – all centrally accessible and viewable via one access in the web platform.
