TABLE 3.
Staff Satisfaction With the Telehospitalist Program at the Hub and Spoke Sites
| Survey domain | Hub staff
|
Spoke staff
|
Example of open-text responses | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Telehospitalist (N = 9), % | Physician, APP (N = 7), % | Nurse (N = 10), % | Other (N = 9), % | ||
| Overall | “The quality of the providers has been exceptional. [They]… are knowledgeable, professional, and communicate clearly and effectively with staff and with patients.” (Other) | ||||
| Telehospitalist provides a valuable service | 100.0 | 57.1 | 40.0 | 77.8 | |
| Good/Excellent experience with program | 100.0 | 57.1 | 30.0 | 55.6 | |
| Spoke site APPs/nurses met expectations | 88.9 | - | - | - | |
| Telehospitalist addressed concerns appropriately | - | 71.4 | 50.0 | 77.8 | |
|
| |||||
| Communication | “We generally go thru the NP/PA on floor and they discuss with telehospitalist. I do not know how to get a hold of [the telehospitalist] other than thru the NP on floor.…” (Nurse) | ||||
| It was easy to contact bedside provider/telehospitalist | 100.0 | 42.9 | 10.0 | 22.2 | |
| Communication with patients was good | 100.0 | - | - | - | |
| Communication with patients’ families was good | 88.9 | - | - | - | |
| Communication with local staff was good | 88.9 | - | - | - | |
| Positive impact in interaction with patients | - | 42.9 | 40.0 | 44.4 | |
| Positive impact in interaction with families | - | 42.9 | 30.0 | 55.6 | |
| Positive impact of interactions among staff | - | 42.9 | 30.0 | 66.7 | |
|
| |||||
| Technology | “Sometimes technical difficulties can be frustrating, but providers seem to be more than willing to make themselves available in other modalities if needed.” (Other) | ||||
| There were technology/connectivity problems | 77.8 | - | - | - | |
| There was a back-up plan for connectivity issues | 83.3 | - | - | - | |
| Back-up plan solution was timely | 66.6 | - | - | - | |
| Good technical quality always/most of the time | - | 42.9 | 40.0 | 33.3 | |
|
| |||||
| Quality | “It adds outside information and can help [us] improve [our] overall level of care provided to patients.” (Provider) | ||||
| Confidence in diagnosis accuracy | 100.0 | - | - | - | |
| Quality of care is as good as face-to-face | 100.0 | - | - | - | |
|
| |||||
| Challenges | “… long wait times for orders for my patients” (Nurse) | ||||
| Differences in culture and practice | 77.8 | - | - | - | |
| I worry more about liability problems | 33.0 | - | - | - | |
| Is the telehospitalist a sustainable model? | 88.9 | - | - | - | |
| Impact on my workflow has been positive | - | 42.9 | 20.0 | 22.2 | |
Abbreviations: APP, advanced practice provider; NP, nurse practitioner; PA, physician assistant.