Hamilton Community Health Network

Focus Group Report

The Patient’s Perspectives

Executive Summary

Focus groups were conducted with patients at the North Saginaw Road and Clio Road clinics on January 24 and 25, 2005 in order to assess patient satisfaction. Demographic data was collected in order to assess the patients’ age, gender, racial/ethnic background, and educational level, and annual income, type of health insurance, employment status, and marital status. Satisfaction was assessed by posing questions about why patients come to the clinics, the ease of scheduling appointments, the length of wait times to see the doctor, whether the staff answered their questions and met their needs, the convenience of the clinics’ location and hours of operations, the quality of the services provided, the clinics’ atmosphere and environment, and any suggestions for improvement. Most of the patients felt the staff were courteous and answered their questions. However, many of the patients encountered problems with calling the clinics to schedule appointments. The respondents at the North Saginaw clinic would like for the building to be enlarged so that it will accommodate the large number of patients being served. The patients at the Clio Road clinic would like additional services to be provided, such as an obesity program and access to an exercise facility. It is recommended that Hamilton Community Health Network clinics continue to provide courteous and personable care to its patients. It is also recommended that the clinics investigate why the phone are not answered and why there is a long wait time to see the doctor for patients that have scheduled their appointments. Furthermore, Hamilton Community Health Network should give some consideration to creating an obesity program or referring patients to obesity programs in the community.

Summary of information gathered:

Prior to the focus groups being held, signs were posted at both the Main and North Pointe site encouraging patients to participate in and to express their opinions about services rendered at the clinics. We also contacted “non-HCHN” patients, using the data from the GHP sign ups. These were consumers who had walked into a HCHN clinic to sign up for GHP; however they did not choose HCHN providers as their PCP. Five patients committed to attending the group to be held on the 25th of January, however no one showed up, so patients were recruited from the waiting ares.

On the actual day of the groups, patients were approached in the waiting area regarding their willingness to participate. A total of 5 patients participated in the focus group held at Main and a total of 5 participated in the North Pointe groups. The participants at main were all women scheduled to been seen by Dr. Young. They ranged in age from 18-64 years of age, with two respondents not providing their ages. The majority of the respondents were single. Their educational levels ranged from less than high school to a college graduated. One of the respondents was uninsured and unemployed, with the majority having some sort of health plan.

Patient satisfaction was measured by asking the following questions, the patient responses are listed under each question:

  • What brings you to HCHN?
  • Heard good things about Dr. Young
  • Dr. Young delivered me and I want him to deliver my baby
  • It’s convenient
  • My insurance is accepted here
  • The location is close to my home
  • What keeps you coming to HCHN?
  • Location, I live close and the doctors are cool
  • I had neglected my health care for a number of years and so I wanted to get back into the routine of getting check ups and I was encouraged to get annual tests and I felt like I was cared about and encouraged to do right
  • I don’t live far from the clinic and the people are nice
  • When you call to schedule an appointment, how easy it to schedule?
  • They keep you on hold too long and sometimes they don’t answer the phone
  • Its’ easy to schedule when you call in, to get the automated system, I hate the automated system
  • When you call to schedule an appointment, are there any barriers that interfere with you scheduling an appointment?
  • It I am not on time, I can’t get in and I can’t get through by phone to them
  • The recording
  • How do you set up an appointment?
  • By phone and if I am already here, in person
  • I schedule them while I’m in the clinic because I can’t get through by telephone.
  • By calling in or making one before I leave the clinic
  • I like that they call the day before to remind you of your appointment
  • If you are a walk-in what prevents you from scheduling an appointment?
  • I needed to see the doctor right away
  • Tell me about your experiences with the medical staff. Does the medical staff answer your questions?
  • Yes, they are very courteous
  • Yes, sometimes
  • Yes, all of the time
  • How would you rate your services?
  • Good, no one is perfect
  • Could be better, you are here all day and when you schedule an appointment there is a 2 hour wait
  • The doctor treats me like I am a hypochondriac
  • No one answers the phones during office hours
  • Dr. Hai was better in Pediatrics
  • I have health problems, for example I needed an ultrasound to help diagnose a health problem and I had to wait a week later because it was not life threatening
  • 8 or 9 where 10 is best
  • 9 or 10
  • sometimes 5
  • 8
  • If you are not a walk-in, how long are you here in the clinic?
  • At least an hour
  • It depends if Dr. Young is delivering a baby. If you have an appointment in Pediatrics, they see you in less than 10 minutes
  • 3 hours, sometimes all day depending on the day, especially on Mondays
  • 2-3 hours
  • 2 hours
  • 45 minutes
  • It depends, if they have a lot of patients to see
  • Are there some services that the clinic does not provide that you would like to have offered?
  • No, not really, nothing I can think of
  • It was hard to get here, but its not a problem anymore
  • Dentist
  • Knee and back services, I would like for them to do something
  • I need to be tested for a sleeping disorder
  • A surgery that they won’t perform
  • What hours of operation would be convenient for you to come to the clinic?
  • Mornings
  • Open till 6 would be helpful or have a few late nights
  • Open later
  • Stay open till 6-7 pm
  • One night a week stay open a little later or Saturday mornings
  • Is there anything that you like or dislike about the clinic’s environment/atmosphere?
  • I would like it better if Pediatrics was upstairs because it is cold downstairs
  • I like the people, I like Kathy she makes me feel like her daughter
  • I like this office, and I like that all of the pregnant girls talk about their babies
  • No one has an attitude about pregnant women
  • They need another OB/GYN doctor there are too many patients and we don’t get good care because they don’t pay money like his over patients
  • Everyone is mellow and it’s a nice facility, I am satisfied.
  • Would you recommend HCHN to friends and relatives? Why or why not?
  • I would recommend Dr. Young to deliver babies, he’s fun and nice
  • Yes, because I would want them to have the same care I get.
  • I would, it’s a doctor’s office and I have made recommendations
  • Yes, because of my personal experience here
  • What do you like about HCHN’s clinics?
  • The Pediatrics room downstairs and make the clinic bigger
  • They should make the clinic bigger because there are many people and it gets crowded
  • They are friendly and nice to talk to
  • The atmosphere, its relaxed enough that you don’t feel intimidated or threatened; some places are like a revolving door they see you for -4 minutes and you are out of there
  • The doctor listens to what your needs are and she let’s you tell her what’s wrong
  • The doctor tells you about different types of medicine
  • They remember our health concerns
  • What would you like us to change about HCHN’s clinics?
  • The way they handle patient problems and appointments
  • They need more help; no one answers the phone and I can’t get through. It appears to happen all of the time
  • They need a new building, it looks real ghetto
  • They need to improve on communicating
  • The doctor doesn’t tell patients what’s wrong
  • Don’t wait too long and it would be great if they had an exercise facility while we wait and encourage you to get up and moving
  • Exercise facility if they had a recreation center
  • Massage therapy
  • Advisory board on the evenings or on a Saturday
  • Need an obesity program for adults.

There are a few themes present throughout the responses:

  • Phones are not answered and it is difficult to make appointments
  • Main site needs to be expanded
  • Extended hours are desired
  • Dental access
  • Expanded programming,exercise facilities etc.

Overall the responses were positive, especially for Pediatrics at main. Patients felt overall that their provider listen to them, and promoted good health practices.

There is some concern regarding the validity given the number of participants, 10 total, which is less that 1% of the number of patients seen monthly. However, prior to conducting the groups we have had some premises that the responses do validate. Some of them include:

  • Phone system is a barrier to access
  • Main site is “busting at the seams”
  • Need for extended hours

This was our first group, and we have identified that we need to have these sessions quarterly. The next session will be in April, and we hope to have a minimum of 10 participants per group. We do have a list of those participants/patients who agreed to meet quarterly, as the advisory board for HCHN. We are also looking to facilitate the meeting in the evening, offering a financial stipend for participation, as well as dinner.

Dr. Deason has expressed an interest in facilitating the on-going focus groups, however we are accessing the need for this to occur.