“Patient satisfaction” has become the health care buzz phrase of the decade.

As more research is done, patient satisfaction is becoming better defined. Stephan Schug, MD, a well-published Professor and Chair of Anesthesiology, defines patient satisfaction as the state that occurs when there is a “match between the patient’s expectations and the perception of the service received.”

Improving patient satisfaction in hospitals is a high priority for organizations seeking to improve patient care and retain patient loyalty in a highly competitive marketplace. Hospitals realize that patients are our customers, and as customers, they have the right to choose where to go for their medical care.

It’s not enough for patients to be merely satisfied with their health care. Our expectations and perceptions of the patient experience vary widely, but at the end of the day what we seek is health care that is patient-centered — care that meets our needs.

If hospitals want to maintain a lifelong relationship with a patient, we need to not only continuously meet their expectations for care and compassion, but we need to “wow” them too.

In order to better understand the patient’s perspective, hospitals and health care providers conduct patient satisfaction surveys. These surveys — conducted via phone, mail and electronic communication — offer providers critical insight into patient perspectives on the entire care continuum.

By painting a vivid picture of the patient experience and pinpointing areas of concern, we can quickly take meaningful action to improve, provide excellent service and create a “wow” experience.

But, the survey data is only as helpful as the feedback we receive.

At St. James Parish Hospital we have partnered with Press Ganey, the leader in patient satisfaction, to assist us in measuring patient satisfaction. For us, it is not just about whether or not we were nice and if you were satisfied — that’s very important — but it is about the entire experience and whether we “wow’ed” you.

To do this, we need patients to tell us what they thought about the care they received. If you are chosen for a survey, please take a moment to complete it. We want your feedback so that we can improve processes and offer better quality care.

Even if you aren’t randomly chosen for a survey, we want to hear from you. Tell us your story. What is something that has “wowed” you when you or a family member received health care here or at any hospital?

When you visit an ER, what do you expect?

If your mother or father was an inpatient, what would you want to know from the physician? If your child was in surgery, how often would you want feedback while waiting for him or her?

How do you tell us your story? Visit the St. James Parish Hospital Facebook Page and send us a private message, visit our website — go to the “contact us” page and click “email us” or send us a letter at 1645 Lutcher Avenue, Lutcher, LA 70071.

We want to share your story with our employees. Health care is changing every day as hospitals work toward better outcomes for patients and what better way to do this than with our patients.

Mary Ellen Pratt is St. James Parish Hospital CEO. She can be reached at info@sjph.org.