The survey results are in -- and they’re looking good

At UC Davis Health, patients are at the center of everything we do. The incredible transformation that will take shape throughout the organization over the next few months and years reflects our commitment to patients and the care teams who serve them. A key ingredient to elevate the quality of care our patients receive is understanding their perspective through the feedback we get after they have visited our hospital or one of our clinics.

While surveys can be a good way to receive feedback, studies have shown that shorter surveys have a higher completion rate than surveys that are lengthier and take more time to complete – a fact that is no surprise.

Jennifer Baron, chief experience officer at UC Davis Health, and Cynthia Ricciuti-Brown, director of experience design insights and capabilities, worked to redesign UC Davis Health surveys to shorten them and make it easier for patients to provide feedback and, as a result, bring our survey capabilities into the 21^st century.

“We have to do everything we can to make it easy for our patients to give us feedback if they want to,” Baron said. “Creating a shorter survey and adding survey channels, among other changes, enable us to identify our best opportunities to improve the patient and care team experience. Ultimately, our patient feedback tools are what help us make good on our promise to put patients at the center of everything we do.”

The survey redesign process included a thorough and careful review of each patient survey. A committee of key stakeholders from across departments made recommendations on the survey redesign. Upon reflection and assessment, the consensus was that many benefits to both patients and care teams include:

• Shorter patient surveys.
• Greater access to digital surveys through channels such as text, email and web-based platforms.
• Location based surveys, rather than physician-based surveys, which capture all eligible patients (as opposed to a select few and eliminates the need to maintain physician lists).
• Expanded survey areas such as in telehealth services.
• Quick feedback turnaround time for the benefit of care teams serving patients.

While some federal and state surveys are still required to be sent via mail, shorter hospital and clinic centered surveys will be presented in various digital forms.

“We consider this redesign the first phase of creating an easier and more dynamic feedback environment that truly moves us forward by revealing more actionable insights through our patients’ feedback,” Ricciuti-Brown said.

The new surveys also feature opportunities for patients and families to enroll as part of a community of patient partners who can continue to provide ongoing ideas and feedback to help UC Davis Health make decisions that enhance patient care.

For more information, we’ve created an FAQ (pdf) to provide a deeper dive into the changes of the surveys and who they will impact.