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Improve Provider — and Patient — Satisfaction with Locum Tenens

The patient-healthcare provider relationship can be viewed from multiple perspectives. Of course, the clinical element comes first and foremost. However, there’s another interesting aspect to that connection: patients’ satisfaction with medical services tend to reflect how happy they perceive their clinicians to be on the job. One survey of VA medical centers found a significant link between apparent employee engagement and higher scores on patient satisfaction surveys.

Indeed, some of the key criteria associated with positive patient experiences also have been identified as essential tools for improving provider morale, such as communication, access to care, and meaningful interactions. What’s more, these are some of the same benefits locum tenens physicians, nurse practitioners (NPs), physician assistants (PAs), and certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) emphasize with each opportunity to practice in a new setting.

• Communication

Whether between clinician and patient or between co-workers, clear communication is essential to developing effective relationships. It also helps prevent workflow interruptions and delays for patients and staff. Therefore, locums professionals realize that, to step into an unfamiliar clinical environment, learn its operational flow, and get to know colleagues on an accelerated time frame, they must exercise strong communication skills from the get-go.

Locum tenens providers also benefit from clear communications originated by administrators and managers during assignments. Your All Star Healthcare Solutions consultant can help disseminate information to providers. They maintain open lines of communication with both client representatives and clinicians before, during, and after locums contracts as part of our “Red Carpet” Service of going above and beyond as a standard.

• Access to Care

When patients wait weeks to book a doctor’s visit for a non-emergency condition because demand for medical services is so high, then there’s concern of patient burnout with the healthcare system, as discussed in Time . Indeed, the physician shortage has cut access to medical professionals in some areas. Thousands of communities are categorized as medically underserved, which means citizens must travel to other cities to attend to their healthcare needs.

Locum tenens is an effective tool to bring physicians, NPs, PAs, and CRNAs to your facility and improve local access for your community. For example, creating a recurring schedule with high-demand subspecialists allows residents the ability to better plan appointments close to home. Your staff also can benefit from the opportunity to confer with providers who have practiced in a variety of clinical settings and locations. Locums physicians and advanced practitioners collect experiences with each assignment, such as exposure to diverse practice styles, equipment, medications, and more. Many providers not only are willing to share their knowledge, but also seek to learn from your staff. That type of collegial exchange can refresh or reignite one’s interest in their profession while enhancing services for patients.

• Meaningful Interactions

When locum tenens professionals absorb a portion of the caseload, the outcome can produce multiple benefits for patients and staff. Their attention is not as divided by administrative duties, and therefore, can be directed more toward patient care and individual interactions. For employees, having supplemental staff on site means a distribution of duties and reduced need for overtime. And when people are granted the time and support to do what they’re best at, the outcome tends to be greater satisfaction for all.

Are you looking to enhance your staffing strategies? All Star Healthcare Solutions is ready to help meet your facility’s unique staffing needs. Call us today at 800-928-0229, or contact us online.