Hospital Room The patient leaves the unit for an imaging study. Returning to the inpatient floor an hour later, he is delighted to find that his bed has been made.

At the end of her shift, the housekeeper informs the patient that she is done for the day and asks cordially, “Is there anything else you see that needs to be cleaned or repaired?”

Making beds while patients are out of their rooms, and the pleasant end-of-shift inquiry, illustrate some of the multiple steps housekeepers and staff with UPMC Environmental Support Services (ESS) have taken as part of a pilot program launched at eight UPMC locations to redesign their work and use new tools to improve patient satisfaction.

“The results have been excellent. Patients and families are happier, which means they can focus on getting better, understanding discharge and medication instructions, and going home,” says Linda Bondra, unit director on 3 West, UPMC Northwest.

Nurses, housekeeping directors, maintenance directors, and front-line housekeepers from each of the participating UPMC locations began work last fall to design and implement initiatives that could be rolled out quickly. The effort was led by the Donald D. Wolff Jr. Center for Quality Improvement and Innovation at UPMC.

The hotel experience

Patients were shown photos related to tasks completed by ESS and asked what mattered the most to them. “The number one visual selected by patients was the photo that showed the bed made up. They told us the bed should be made up while they are out of the room, just like it is when they stay at a hotel,” explains Amy Kowinsky, improvement specialist, Center for Quality Improvement.

Some patients also stated that they did not see their housekeeper during their hospital stay. This occurred because the patient was away from his or her room or asleep when the housekeeper was there. Still, the patient perception of limited housekeeping service remained.

To reverse this perception, housekeepers made three daily visits to patient rooms and were provided with scripts and other tools to guide them when interacting with patients.

During the regular room clean and the final daily visit, housekeepers ask the patient to identify any items that need to be cleaned or repaired. Cleaning issues are addressed immediately. Repairs, such as a broken window blind or dripping faucet, are noted by the housekeeper on a “do it now” form, which is routed to Maintenance. The repair is usually made within 24 hours.

Focus also is placed on completing other tasks that patients have stated are important to them. These tasks include ensuring there are no overflowing wastebaskets and burnishing floors frequently to give them a glossy shine.

Results trend upward

UPMC uses various surveys to measure patient perception of care and service provided. The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey, pronounced “H-caps,” asks patients whether various aspects of hospital care were provided “always,” “usually,” “sometimes,” or “never.”

One portion of the survey asks patients whether their room and bathroom were kept clean. “On our eight pilot units, we have seen a clear upward trend [from October 2008 through February 2009] in responses stating rooms and bathrooms were ‘always’ kept clean,” says Ms. Kowinsky.

Other aspects of the quality initiative involved observing how housekeepers clean inpatient rooms. The goal is to standardize the order in which surfaces are disinfected and other tasks are completed. By doing this, if the cleaning process is interrupted (for example, a physician visits the patient) the housekeeper easily can resume cleaning where he or she left off.

Also, as part of the daily cleaning assignment, housekeepers disinfect all high hand-contact points to ensure these same surfaces are cleaned every time to maintain a safe environment. Other tasks, such as dusting window blinds and cleaning corners, are completed weekly.

Ms. Kowinsky notes that the project’s next steps call for refining its components and expanding it to more units and other UPMC hospitals.

Friday, May 1, 2009 Volume 20, No. 7 Download a PDF of this issue
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Additional Articles New safety measures target patient falls Swine flu Going green means saving energy and reducing costs Is that the right logo? Check the UPMC Brand Manual Need to contact UPMC Health Plan? Use the Internet — it’s easy! UPMC HealthTrak offers online convenience Canterbury’s homecoming Postal regulations change bulk mailing guidelines UPMC doctors named to Pittsburgh magazine ‘Top Doctors’ list Test your ethics and compliance knowledge Children’s on the move UPMC to help staff spot ‘red flags’ of identity theft Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month Stroke signs, symptoms, and treatment: Are you aware? UPMC and the Army Reserve join in employer partnership Special enrollment rights under CHIP Submit your community benefit reports Accolades Has your dependent student graduated? Pittsburgh Marathon street closures Campus-specific news in Inside Extra	Hospitality makes a big difference UPMC housekeepers’ attention to detail improves patient satisfaction scores The patient leaves the unit for an imaging study. Returning to the inpatient floor an hour later, he is delighted to find that his bed has been made. At the end of her shift, the housekeeper informs the patient that she is done for the day and asks cordially, “Is there anything else you see that needs to be cleaned or repaired?” Making beds while patients are out of their rooms, and the pleasant end-of-shift inquiry, illustrate some of the multiple steps housekeepers and staff with UPMC Environmental Support Services (ESS) have taken as part of a pilot program launched at eight UPMC locations to redesign their work and use new tools to improve patient satisfaction. “The results have been excellent. Patients and families are happier, which means they can focus on getting better, understanding discharge and medication instructions, and going home,” says Linda Bondra, unit director on 3 West, UPMC Northwest. Nurses, housekeeping directors, maintenance directors, and front-line housekeepers from each of the participating UPMC locations began work last fall to design and implement initiatives that could be rolled out quickly. The effort was led by the Donald D. Wolff Jr. Center for Quality Improvement and Innovation at UPMC. The hotel experience Patients were shown photos related to tasks completed by ESS and asked what mattered the most to them. “The number one visual selected by patients was the photo that showed the bed made up. They told us the bed should be made up while they are out of the room, just like it is when they stay at a hotel,” explains Amy Kowinsky, improvement specialist, Center for Quality Improvement. Some patients also stated that they did not see their housekeeper during their hospital stay. This occurred because the patient was away from his or her room or asleep when the housekeeper was there. Still, the patient perception of limited housekeeping service remained. To reverse this perception, housekeepers made three daily visits to patient rooms and were provided with scripts and other tools to guide them when interacting with patients. During the regular room clean and the final daily visit, housekeepers ask the patient to identify any items that need to be cleaned or repaired. Cleaning issues are addressed immediately. Repairs, such as a broken window blind or dripping faucet, are noted by the housekeeper on a “do it now” form, which is routed to Maintenance. The repair is usually made within 24 hours. Focus also is placed on completing other tasks that patients have stated are important to them. These tasks include ensuring there are no overflowing wastebaskets and burnishing floors frequently to give them a glossy shine. Results trend upward UPMC uses various surveys to measure patient perception of care and service provided. The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey, pronounced “H-caps,” asks patients whether various aspects of hospital care were provided “always,” “usually,” “sometimes,” or “never.” One portion of the survey asks patients whether their room and bathroom were kept clean. “On our eight pilot units, we have seen a clear upward trend [from October 2008 through February 2009] in responses stating rooms and bathrooms were ‘always’ kept clean,” says Ms. Kowinsky. Other aspects of the quality initiative involved observing how housekeepers clean inpatient rooms. The goal is to standardize the order in which surfaces are disinfected and other tasks are completed. By doing this, if the cleaning process is interrupted (for example, a physician visits the patient) the housekeeper easily can resume cleaning where he or she left off. Also, as part of the daily cleaning assignment, housekeepers disinfect all high hand-contact points to ensure these same surfaces are cleaned every time to maintain a safe environment. Other tasks, such as dusting window blinds and cleaning corners, are completed weekly. Ms. Kowinsky notes that the project’s next steps call for refining its components and expanding it to more units and other UPMC hospitals.