Mayo Clinic's seven-prong model improves service quality, patient experience scores

Details of a "seven-prong" model for improving service quality and creating value, developed by Mayo Clinic in Arizona, were published in the November/December issue of Journal of Healthcare Management. Results of the pilot study suggest that the model has utility in improving patient experience scores, which can influence reimbursement under value-based purchasing.

The seven prongs in Mayo Clinic's model are (1) multiple data sources to drive improvement, (2) accountability for service quality, (3) service consultation and improvement tools, (4) service values and behaviors, (5) education and training, (6) ongoing monitoring and control and (7) recognition and reward.

The model was fully implemented and tested in five departments in which patient satisfaction scores were below the 90^th percentile target. Extent of the implementation was at the discretion of Mayo Clinic department leadership. Perception data were collected from randomly selected patients and monitored over a 24-month period. The largest increases in patient perception of excellence over the pilot period were realized when all seven prongs of the model were implemented as a comprehensive improvement approach.

Denise Kennedy, Mayo Clinic Service Coordinator and an author of the study, says, "In the past three years, we have used data to increase awareness of service issues, put a structure in place to enhance accountability and developed tools and resources to help department leaders improve performance. Creating the best possible experience is the right thing to do for the patient, and, in a system that pays for value, it benefits the organization."