An Evidence-Based Industry-Standard Departmental Quality Improvement Project to Improve Customer Service – the Net Promoter Score

ABSTRACT

In 2003, an article in the Harvard Business Review by Reichheld, et al, identified a simple single investigative question – "How likely is it that you would recommend [company X] to a friend or colleague?" – that best represented customer loyalty and would predict company growth. With a renewed interest in patient satisfaction, this survey has been adapted in the healthcare community, but there are no known publications describing its use in a radiation oncology clinic. From April of 2019 through February of 2022, hard-copy forms were given to patients after CT simulation and at completion of therapy in a private room onsite. The question read, "How likely are you to refer patients who are friends or family to [Institution] Radiation Oncology?" If he or she agreed to answer the survey, the respondent used a Likert scale from 0 to 10 (least to most likely) and added comments in a free-text section. Responses with a 0 to 10 score were logged with no identifying information and were classified as "promoters" (9 to 10) or "detractors" (0 to 6);a monthly Net Promoter Score was calculated by dividing the number of "promoters" by the sum of "promoters" and "detractors." Comments, if available, were additionally transcribed. The scores and comments were shared with the department once weekly in morning huddle. Patients filled out 1318 forms (62%). Monthly Net Promoter scores ranged from 94.44 to 100. The average response was 9.74 with marks of 9.76, 9.74, 9.75, and 10.00 for 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022, respectively. In 2019 and 2020, replies were separated by timepoints of CT simulation (9.73 and 9.71) and after radiotherapy (9.75 and 9.78). During this timeframe, comments were further analyzed by qualitative analysis and were classified into "staff appreciation," "patient feelings/treatment," "wait times," "respect," and "communication." The Net Promotor Score is an available tool to get immediate feedback from patients, allowing rapid service recovery, if needed. In our department, scores were consistently favorable with little difference through the COVID-19 pandemic, and patients noted that they were appreciated, felt respected, and experienced short wait times. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics is the property of Pergamon Press - An Imprint of Elsevier Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)