Hospitals in pursuit of excellence

Physician Shadowing Impact on Doctor-Patient Communication

The medical center has made significant progress in improving physician-patient communication through a variety of initiatives and techniques. Key among them have been private and confidential physician "shadowing" sessions. These sessions have benefitted virtually all participating physicians and have contributed to the hospitalwide improvement in outpatients' and inpatients' evaluations of their physicians. This project focuses on the impact in the outpatient setting, where patient ratings of physician communication rose from the 54th to the 81st percentile.

This case study is part of the Illinois Health and Hospital Association's annual Quality Excellence Achievement Awards. Each year, IHA recognizes and celebrates the achievements of Illinois hospitals and health systems in continually improving and transforming health care in the state. These organizations are improving health by striving to achieve the Triple Aim—improving the patient experience of care (including quality and satisfaction), improving the health of populations, and reducing the per capita cost of health care—and the Institute of Medicine’s six aims for improvement—safe, effective, patient centered, timely, efficient, and equitable. To learn more, visit https://www.ihaqualityawards.org/javascript-ui/IHAQualityAward/