Physician office viewpoint survey system and method

• US 7,552,063 B1
• Filed: 11/05/2001
• Issued: 06/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quality Data Management, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Quality Data Management, Inc.
• Inventors: McEachern, J. Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Connor; Gerald J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KOPPIKAR, VIVEK D
• Application Number:
  US10/008,027
• Time in Patent Office: 2,787 Days
• Field of Search: 705 2- 4, 705 7- 8, 705/26
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/20 for electronic clinical trials or questionnaires
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records

Abstract

A system and method for conducting surveys, and, more particularly, an at least partially automated and efficient system and method for collecting, processing, and displaying customer satisfaction survey information that enables a product or service provider to evaluate the quality of goods and/or services received based on ratings and reports obtained by performing surveys of customers, employees, and/or staff. The system utilizes an execution platform using a clinical process improvement methodology. The system provides the execution platform with software scripts implementing the clinical improvement process, using drill-down questioning techniques and verbatim comments tailored to the survey participants comments and/or status information to gain insights into the participants'"'"' reasons for their opinions. The system obtains raw survey data and processes that data into useful survey information, such as graphs and charts, for presenting to survey consumers (i.e., system users) who may be remotely located. In this way the system and method can be utilized in a quality improvement program for any service or product provider.

Claims

1. A system for collecting, processing, and presenting survey information comprising:

I. an automated survey communication system for connecting to survey participants for conducting a survey to obtain survey data, said survey communication system capable of executing software scripts for implementing desired automated survey routines;

II. a customer viewpoint module for providing software scripts to said survey communication system for surveying survey participants who are customers using a drill-down method, said survey data obtained from the customers including patient viewpoint data;

III. a personal clinical data analysis module for automatically generating analyzed data generated by analyzing said survey data, wherein said personal clinical data analysis module generates reports on said analyzed data for use by the survey consumer;

IV. an office team viewpoint module for providing software scripts to said survey communication system for surveying survey participants who are employees using a drill-down method, said survey data obtained from the employees including employee viewpoint data; and

V. an office fiscal performance viewpoint module for providing software scripts to said survey communication system for surveying survey participants who are managers using a drill-down method, and further for receiving said survey data from said survey communication system, said survey data obtained from the managers including fiscal performance data; and

VI. an office data presentation module for generating assessed survey information for presenting to end users in a formatted manner, said assessed survey information including information for providing quality assessments of an organization, wherein

said drill-down method utilizes one or both of survey data already provided by a current survey participant and historical survey data to determine a subsequent survey question to be asked of the current survey participant, and further wherein

said system automatically calculates and displays survey results in real time or near real time to each survey participant utilizing historical survey data to allow each current survey participant to see a formatted survey report incorporating the survey data obtained from the current survey participant during or immediately after the conducted survey with the current participant, said survey report formatted in a custom manner based on whether the current survey participant is a customer, or is an employee or a manager.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein said generating assessed survey information for presenting to end users in a formatted manner utilizes a compass viewpoint information presentation paradigm.

3. The system according to claim 1 applied to a medical care provider, wherein said customer is a patient, said system further comprising:

a comparative practice data repository for storing and retrieving said survey data and for storing and retrieving said analyzed data and for storing and retrieving said assessed survey information;

a historical data repository on clinic performance for storing fiscal historical performance normative data for use by said office data presentation module for generating and displaying historical fiscal performance comparisons for predicting fiscal success; and

a clinical and pathophysiologic normative data repository for storing clinical and pathophysiologic normative data obtained from various sources, said clinical and pathophysiologic normative data relating patient parameters including age, gender, and medical conditions.

4. The system according to claim 3 wherein said customer viewpoint data includes:

A. customer satisfaction data;

B. office process viewpoint data;

C. provider care and concern data; and

D. verbatim viewpoint comments;

and further wherein said employee viewpoint data includes;

A. job performance data including;

i. ability to keep pace data;

ii. opportunities to improve data;

iii. job security data; and

iv. performance expectations data;

B. team function data including;

i. team communication data;

ii. team operation data;

iii. stress environment data;

iv. change implementation data; and

v. overall viewpoint data;

C. verbatim comments; and

D. employee function data;

and still further wherein said fiscal performance data includes;

A. staffing data;

B. compliance data;

C. encounter frequency data;

D. production data;

E. collections data

F. receipts data;

G. accounts receivable data;

H. cost data; and

I. overhead data.

5. The system according to claim 4 wherein said analyzed data includes:

A. comparative patient level data for storing in said clinical and pathophysiological normative data repository, said comparative patient level data including;

i. patient age data;

ii. patient gender data;

iii. patient functional health status data

iv. patient health screening data

v. patient family medical history data;

vi. patient medication data;

vii. patient pathophysiology data;

viii. patient health habits data;

ix. patient counseling data;

x. patient satisfaction data;

xi. patient health care access data; and

xii. patient payment capability data;

B. comparative data for stored in said comparative practice data repository; and

C. analyzed data stored in said comparative practice data repository.

6. The system according to claim 5 wherein said assessed survey information includes:

A. patient viewpoint results including;

i. office process viewpoints;

ii. provider care and concern viewpoints;

iii. overall visit viewpoints; and

iv. verbatim comments on processes;

B. functional health status results; and

C. fiscal performance viewpoint results.

7. The system according to claim 3 applied to a medical care provider, wherein said customer is a patient and further wherein said assessed survey information includes:

A. patient viewpoint results including;

i. office process viewpoints;

ii. provider care and concern viewpoints;

iii. overall visit viewpoints; and

iv. verbatim comments on processes;

B. functional health status results; and

C. fiscal performance viewpoint results.

8. The system according to claim 1 applied to a medical care provider wherein said customer is a patient and further wherein said analyzed data includes:

A. comparative patient level data for storing in said clinical and pathophysiological normative data repository, said comparative patient level data including;

i. patient age data;

ii. patient gender data;

iii. patient functional health status data

iv. patient health screening data

v. patient family medical history data;

vi. patient medication data;

vii. patient pathophysiology data;

viii. patient health habits data;

ix. patient counseling data;

x. patient satisfaction data;

xi. patient health care access data; and

xii. patient payment capability data;

B. comparative data for stored in said comparative practice data repository; and

C. analyzed data stored in said comparative practice data repository.

9. The system according to claim 8 wherein said assessed survey information includes:

A. patient viewpoint results including;

i. office process viewpoints;

ii. provider care and concern viewpoints;

iii. overall visit viewpoints; and

iv. verbatim comments on processes;

B. functional health status results; and

C. fiscal performance viewpoint results.

10. The system according to claim 1 applied to a medical care provider wherein said customer is a patient and further wherein said analyzed data includes:

patient family and social histories;

reviews of health habits;

health concerns;

medication reviews;

health screening information; and

recommendations based on nationally accepted guidelines, age, gender, and condition specific care.

11. The system according to claim 10 wherein said generating assessed survey information for presenting to end users in a formatted manner utilizes a compass viewpoint information presentation paradigm.

12. A system for collecting, processing, and presenting survey information for a medical care provider comprising:

I. a survey communication system for connecting to a survey participant and obtaining participant survey data, said survey communication system comprising;

A. a connection device connected to a communication network for connecting said communication network to a survey participant; and

B. an automated surveying system connected to said connection device, wherein said automated surveying system executes survey scripts for collecting survey data from the survey participant, said automated surveying system including an automated interactive voice recognition unit for accepting oral responses from the survey participant, said automated interactive voice recognition unit including a voice recognition module to interpret said oral responses and generate said participant survey data therefrom;

said automation surveying system further including a means for recording verbatim comments;

II. a patient viewpoint module for providing software scripts to said survey communication system for surveying survey participants who are patients and further for receiving said survey data including patient survey data obtained from the patient, from said survey communication system, said patient viewpoint module containing physician office survey programs comprising;

A. a patient viewpoint program for providing patient viewpoint survey scripts to said external surveying system for obtaining participant viewpoint data from the patient;

B. a functional health status program for providing functional health status survey scripts to said external surveying system for obtaining functional health status data from the patient;

C. a panel membership program for providing a panel membership survey script to said external surveying system for inviting the patient to join a panel;

D. a verbatim comments program for providing verbatim comments survey scripts for obtaining said verbatim comments from the patient;

E. a data storage program for checking an integrity of said participant survey data, and for storing participant survey data that passes an integrity check into a comparative practice data repository;

said patient survey data including;

i. said participant viewpoint data including;

participant satisfaction data;

office process viewpoint data;

provider care and concern data; and

verbatim viewpoint comments;

ii. said functional health status data; and

iii. said verbatim comments; and

F. a data reporting program for providing a report to the patient;

III. a personal clinical data analysis module for generating analyzed data for storage in said comparative practice data repository, said analyzed data generated by analyzing said participant survey data, comparative patient level data obtained from a clinical and pathophysiological normative data repository, and primary data repository, wherein said generated analyzed data includes;

A. comparative patient level data for storing in said clinical and pathophysiological normative data repository, said comparative patient level data including;

i. patient age data;

ii. patient gender data;

iii. patient functional health status data

iv. patient health screening data

v. patient family medical history data;

vi. patient medication data;

vii. patient pathophysiology data;

viii. patient health habits data;

ix. patient counseling data;

x. patient satisfaction data;

xi. patient health care access data;

xii. patient payment capability data; and

xiii. recommendations based on one or more of;

nationally accepted guidelines, age, gender, or condition specific care

B. comparative data for stored in said comparative practice data repository; and

C. analyzed data stored in said comparative practice data repository;

wherein said personal clinical data analysis module generates said analyzed data after an expiration of a period of time since said survey information was last generated, and further wherein

said personal clinical data analysis module generates survey reports on said analyzed data for use by the survey consumer;

IV. an office team viewpoint module for providing software scripts to said survey communication system for surveying survey participants who are employees, for validating said employee before providing data access, and further for receiving said survey data including employee survey data obtained from the employee, said employee survey data including;

A. job performance data including;

i. ability to keep pace data;

ii. opportunities to improve data;

iii. job security data; and

iv. performance expectations data;

B. team function data including;

i. team communication data;

ii. team operation data;

iii. stress environment data;

iv. change implementation data; and

v. overall viewpoint data;

C. verbatim comments; and

D. employee function data;

wherein said employee survey data is stored in said comparative practice data repository;

V. an office fiscal performance viewpoint module for providing software scripts to said survey communication system for surveying survey participants who are managers, for validating said manager before providing data access, and further for receiving said survey data including fiscal performance data obtained from the manager, said fiscal performance data including;

staffing data;

compliance data;

encounter frequency data;

production data;

collections data

receipts data;

accounts receivable data;

cost data; and

overhead data;

wherein said office fiscal performance viewpoint module stores said fiscal performance data in said comparative practice data repository; and

further wherein said office fiscal performance viewpoint module archives historical fiscal performance data in said historical data repository on clinic performance; and

VI. a physician office data presentation module for generating assessed survey information including;

A. patient viewpoint assessments generated using said patient viewpoint data and said analyzed data obtained from said comparative practice data repository;

B. office team viewpoint assessments generated using said employee survey data obtained from said comparative practice data repository;

C. office fiscal performance viewpoint assessments generated using said fiscal data obtained from said comparative practice data repository and said historical data repository on clinic performance; and

D. personal clinical compass viewpoint assessments;

said physician office data presentation module further for formatting said assessed survey information into survey reports for display to the survey consumer in real time or near real time with respect to the collection of the participant'"'"'s survey data, said formatted assessed survey information including;

A. patient viewpoint results including;

i. office process viewpoints;

ii. provider care and concern viewpoints;

iii. overall visit viewpoints; and

iv. verbatim comments on processes;

B. functional health status results;

C. fiscal performance viewpoint results including;

D. verbatim comments organized by category;

E. survey information sorted according to survey consumer entered criteria, said sorting criteria including Boolean sorting, and wherein

the survey reports are presented to each survey participant by the system as a formatted survey report incorporating the survey data obtained from the current survey participant during or immediately after the conducted survey with the current participant, said reports formatted in a custom manner based on whether the current survey participant is a customer, or is an employee or a manager.

13. The system according to claim 12 wherein said physician office data presentation module formats said assessed survey information utilizing a compass viewpoint information presentation paradigm.

14. A method for collecting, processing, and presenting survey information comprising the steps of:

I. connecting to a survey participant over an external communication system;

II. conducting a plurality of automated surveys with survey participants, said automated surveys being conducted according to survey scripts, said survey scripts providing instructions for conducting said automated survey to collect survey data, said conducting a plurality of automated surveys with survey participants including the steps of;

A. conducting a survey with a participant who is a customer according to customer survey scripts including scripts for obtaining survey data including customer viewpoint data including;

i. customer satisfaction data;

ii. office process viewpoint data;

iii. provider care and concern data; and

iv. verbatim viewpoint comments;

B. conducting a survey with a participant who is an employee according to employee survey scripts including scripts for obtaining survey data including employee viewpoint data;

said employee viewpoint data including;

i. job performance data including;

ability to keep pace data;

opportunities to improve data;

job security data; and

performance expectations data;

ii. team function data including;

team communication data;

team operation data;

stress environment data;

change implementation data; and

overall viewpoint data;

iii. verbatim comments; and

iv. employee function data;

and

C. conducting a survey with a participant who is a manager according to manager survey scripts including scripts for obtaining survey data including fiscal performance data, said fiscal performance data includes;

i. staffing data;

ii. compliance data;

iii. encounter frequency data;

iv. production data;

v. collections data

vi. receipts data;

vii. accounts receivable data;

viii. cost data; and

ix. overhead data;

III. generating analyzed data from said survey data, said analyzed data including;

A. comparative patient level data for storing in said clinical and pathophysiological normative data repository, said comparative patient level data including;

i. patient age data;

ii. patient gender data;

iii. patient functional health status data

iv. patient health screening data

v. patient family medical history data;

vi. patient medication data;

vii. patient pathophysiology data;

viii. patient health habits data;

ix. patient counseling data;

x. patient satisfaction data;

xi. patient health care access data; and

xii. patient payment capability data;

B. comparative data for stored in said comparative practice data repository including comparisons to nationally accepted guidelines; and

C. historical comparisons based on analyzed data stored in said comparative practice data repository;

IV. generating reports utilizing said survey data and said analyzed data, said reports for use by a survey consumer or for use by said survey participant; and

V. generating assessed survey information from said survey data and said analyzed data, said assessed survey information including;

A. patient viewpoint results including;

i. office process viewpoints;

ii. provider care and concern viewpoints;

iii. overall visit viewpoints; and

iv. verbatim comments on processes;

B. functional health status results; and

C. fiscal performance viewpoint results;

VI. formatting at least some portion of said assessed survey information according to a compass viewpoint information presentation paradigm for display to a survey consumer, said formatting including presentation of charts, graphs, and textual reports; and

VII. formatting at least some portion of said assessed survey information for providing a derived survey report to the survey participant in real time or near real time during or immediately after the survey conducted with the survey participant, said formatting being customized based on whether the participant is a patient, or an employee or a manager.