Update on Improving Outpatient Care Satisfaction

The June 2008 issue of TRICARE Provider News included an article on improving beneficiary satisfaction with outpatient care. In that article, two metrics—Getting Needed Care and Getting Care
Quickly—were identified through the Health Care Survey of Department of Defense Beneficiaries (HCSDB) as having statistically significant lower results when compared with national customer satisfaction benchmarks. Subsequent HCSDB surveys have shown an improvement in Getting Care Quickly. Although this metric is still below the national benchmark, it is no longer considered a statistically significant shortfall. The patient care dimension that prevents this metric from reaching or surpassing the benchmark is beneficiary perception of wait times to see a provider.
 
The survey question related to wait times is: “In the last 12 months, how often were you taken to the exam room within 15 minutes of your appointment?” The national benchmark indicates that 55 percent of beneficiaries are taken to the exam room within 15 minutes of their appointment time, whereas the TRICARE South Region beneficiary survey results are 47 percent.
 
Getting Needed Care is a composite of questions about accessing a personal provider/nurse, coordination of specialist and necessary care, and delays in getting care while awaiting approval of appointments. Seventy percent of TRICARE beneficiaries rated Getting Needed Care as “not a problem,” which is below the national benchmark of 77 percent. In order to improve scores for Getting Needed Care, it may be helpful to review your referral management process.
 
Humana Military Healthcare Services, Inc. applauds your efforts to provide exceptional health care
to our TRICARE South Region beneficiaries. Fourth-quarter survey results for the 2008 fiscal year show
a marked improvement in customer satisfaction across our region. We encourage you to continue to
work toward improving TRICARE beneficiaries’ satisfaction with their access to care.