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Psychiatry & Behavioral Health Patient Experience

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Patient Experience

A conceptual framework for patient experience in psychiatry and behavioral health.

Patient Experience development and research at Yale Psychiatric Hospital represents a pivotal facet of our ongoing commitment to elevating the quality of healthcare delivery. Our overarching objective is to enhance organizational workflows and processes directed at improving patient outcomes. Our patient experience initiatives begin with a rigorous psychometric development process with input from patients and leading national healthcare experts that yields a wealth of qualitative and quantitative data providing insights about patients' needs, motivations, goals, and outcomes.

Presently, our patient experience work is distinctly oriented toward the formulation and validation of a comprehensive suite of metrics applicable across a spectrum of programs within Psychiatry and Behavioral Health. This encompasses areas such as inpatient care, interventional psychiatry, outpatient services, family patient experience initiatives, and telehealth interventions, among others. In pursuit of this endeavor, we are constructing a conceptual framework to elucidate the multifaceted dimensions of patient experience while propelling innovations aimed at crafting healthcare systems that promote respect and dignity for all and optimize the overall landscape of patient care.


Psychiatry Inpatient Experienc (PIX)

The "Psychiatric Inpatient Patient Experience (PIX)" measure, formulated in 2021, is the culmination of efforts by an interdisciplinary team of scholars and practitioners from the Yale School of Medicine and the Yale New Haven Psychiatric Hospital.

Conceptual Framework

The pioneering PIX measure adeptly integrates patient experience theories with crucial care facets pertinent to the everyday experiences of psychiatric inpatients. Simultaneously, it furnishes organization-centric and discipline-specific feedback. The instrument’s four-factor structure underscores the role of patients’ relationships with their treatment team, the perceived effectiveness of their treatment, the healing environment, and the team presence of the nursing staff. The PIX instrument collates these principles across sectors that resonate with the cardinal roles of the multidisciplinary ensemble and hospital protocols. This synthesized model using a mixture of quantitative and qualitative data, proffers a comprehensive schema to decode the psychiatric inpatient experience, rendering insights that are both profound and amenable for persistent quality enhancement.

PIX Domains of Patient Experience

Treatment Team Relationship (6 questions):
The synergy between patients and care providers, characterized by reciprocal respect, attentive communication, and a fortified therapeutic partnership, all converging towards common therapeutic objectives.
Healing Environment (7 questions):
The distinctive attributes of the inpatient milieu that are conducive to patient recovery include a clean environment, a secure and quiet space, diverse social and recreational activities, and exposure to natural light or outdoor settings.

Treatment Effectiveness (6 questions):
The accessibility, utility, and pertinence of therapeutic modalities within the framework of the inpatient care landscape and resources and support in anticipation of hospital discharge.

Nursing and Team Presence (7 questions):
Intentional engagement focused on patient recovery and addressing patients’ immediate needs while emphasizing the significance of a cohesive and reliable team.

Measurement Specifications: The said measure encompasses 26 questions spanning the above four domains. The measure employs a five-point Likert Scale, ranging from "strongly agree" to "strongly disagree," supplemented with a discretionary "does not apply" response option. A net promoter question, complemented by open-ended prompts for qualitative insights, is included along with elective demographics with predefined categorical selections.

Resources

Contact Us for Expert Consultation

Your voice matters to us. If you have any questions about our patient experience projects or are interested in requesting professional consultation services, we encourage you to reach out. Our team of experts is committed to enhancing mental healthcare outcomes through innovative solutions and personalized care. Let's work together to make a difference.

Leadership

  • David H Klemanski, PsyD, MPH

    Assistant Professor of Psychiatry; Director of Training, Doctoral Internship in Clinical and Community Psychology, Psychiatry; Director, Division of Quality and Innovation, Adult Psychiatry; Director, Psychological Assessment Service, Psychiatry; Director of Psychology Continuing Education, Psychiatry

    Dr. Klemanski is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Yale University. He is also the director of the Psychological Assessment Service for Yale-New Haven Hospital and co-director of the Division of Quality and Innovation at Yale New Haven Psychiatric Hospital. Dr. Klemanski completed his predoctoral and postdoctoral fellowships at Yale University School of Medicine and the Department of Psychology at Yale University, respectively. His research interests are focused on the psychopathological components of anxiety, specific anxiety disorders, and common comorbid conditions. Recently, he has centered his research on emotion regulation strategies and treatment outcomes among anxiety- and mood-based disorders to clarify the diagnostic overlap among these disorders by delineating differential regulatory processes associated with various emotional experiences. Dr. Klemanski is a well-known expert in psychological assessment, mindfulness, and emotion regulation. He frequently publishes scientific papers and speaks at national events. In addition, he co-authored the book, "Don't Let Your Anxiety Run Your Life: Using the Science of Emotion Regulation And Mindfulness to Overcome Your Worry And Fear," which offers practical advice on using mindfulness and emotion regulation to overcome worry and fear. Dr. Klemanski is also a consultant for various print and online media outlets, including MSNBC, Vice Media, and podcasts. He is an active participant in community lectures, panels, and workshops.
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