SHM Converge Scientific Abstract ePoster Gallery-Enhancing Patient Experience: The Role of Tuck-in Rounds and Closed-Loop Communication

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This quality improvement project showed that afternoon “tuck-in rounds” combined with closed-loop communication can significantly improve patient experience. The intervention was designed to proactively identify and resolve patient concerns before the end of the day, especially issues related to communication, responsiveness, and unmet needs.<br /><br />After implementation, the overall Press Ganey score improved from 63 to 81 over four months. Specific patient experience domains also increased: communication with nurses rose from 71.4% to 89.2%, communication with doctors from 68.6% to 83.7%, responsiveness of staff from 37.5% to 82.3%, communication about medicines from 51.5% to 60.8%, and hospital environment from 61.0% to 80.3%.<br /><br />The project highlights several benefits. First, structured proactive engagement improved real-time problem solving and reduced patient frustration. Second, closed-loop communication ensured that concerns were appropriately escalated and addressed. Third, tuck-in rounds created a valuable educational opportunity for residents, reinforcing communication, patient engagement, and accountability as essential clinical skills.<br /><br />The background notes that patient experience is an important measure of healthcare quality, and that communication and responsiveness were identified as areas needing improvement. The initiative responded to these gaps by building a routine process for afternoon check-ins with patients.<br /><br />Next steps include expanding tuck-in rounds to other units, refining the workflow, improving patient recognition of the physician in charge, and using continued patient feedback to guide further quality improvement.

Asset Subtitle

Shivani Dave

Meta Tag

Author List Shivani Dave

Category Innovations

Concept Tuck-in Rounds

Concept Patient Experience

Concept Closed-Loop Communication

Concept Patient Concern

Concept Engagement

Distinguished Non-Finalist

Presenter Organization South Shore University Hospital Northwell Health

Presenting Author Shivani Dave

Track Communication

Keywords

patient experience

quality improvement

tuck-in rounds

closed-loop communication

Press Ganey score

communication

responsiveness

patient satisfaction

healthcare quality

real-time problem solving

Tuck-in Rounds

Patient Experience

Closed-Loop Communication

Patient Concern

Engagement