New Tool Collects Patient Feedback Faster During Hospital Stays

Seeking to improve patient's experiences in the hospital, Cedars-Sinai has introduced a new feedback tool that will allow patients to comment on their hospital stays in real time rather than waiting to complete surveys after going home.

Under a program that began in January, patients can evaluate their experiences through a platform designed in conjunction with Feedtrail, a healthcare technology company. Using the Feedtrail platform, patients are prompted to complete short, targeted surveys via text, enabling staff to respond to needs as they arise in the hospital. The short surveys are tailored to each patient's circumstances and are received within hours of patients being admitted.

The new tool is a departure from the traditional approach to patient feedback in hospitals: Patients typically receive longer surveys by phone or email several days after being discharged, when details about their stays begin to fade. Such surveys take a one-size-fits-all approach to feedback, whether a patient is treated for stage 4 cancer or has just given birth. The survey questions for the new tool have been developed with input from Cedars-Sinai patients through the medical center's Family Advisor Program.

"We are looking to obtain actionable, meaningful insights of what patients really want from us in the moment to improve their experience while they're with us in the hospital," said Alan Dubovsky, chief patient experience officer at Cedars-Sinai. "Using this new platform allows us to ask unique questions to different patients at different times. The feedback received will help us ensure that our patients have the most positive experience possible."

Feedtrail completed the three-month Cedars-Sinai Accelerator program last September. The accelerator is designed to speed the development of innovative, early-stage businesses aiming to bring advances to the healthcare field.

"It's been a rewarding experience partnering with Cedars-Sinai and their development team on product enhancements that are deliberate about serving patients and modern medical professionals who understand that healthcare is not one-size-fits-all," said Feedtrail CEO Paul Jaglowski, whose firm works with healthcare systems in the U.S. and Europe. "By unlocking unique data insights and recognizing patterns within specific patient populations, we are enabling a more intimate degree of care—where the patient is prioritized."

The initial phase of this project with continue for at least six months, and a scaled rollout will be conducted across various departments in the hospital. "We believe that the success of this program will yield such meaningful patient feedback that we can expand it to all areas of the health system and, ultimately, perfect the way we listen to our patients," Dubovsky said.