Paging Protocols For Hospitalists: New Quiet Time Policy!

I am proud to be part of a ground breaking new method to improve hospitalist satisfaction with the introduction of a radically new paging protocol for hospitalists. Despite knowing that higher patient satisfaction scores increases mortality, hospital payment methodology is increasingly being tied to patient satisfaction and less on a patient's plan of action.  Smart hospitals understand this.  They realize in today's payment environment  if they want happy patients, they have to have happy hospitalists.  My ten year N=1 covert research study confirms a high correlation between patient satisfaction and hospitalist satisfaction.  My important research suggests the most important variable to  improve hospitalist satisfaction is to minimize daily interruption of work flow by implementing strict paging protocols for hospitalists.

Smart hospitals are actually taking the lead.  For them to get paid, they need to have a fleet of happy hospitalists.  So it came as no surprise for me to learn that my own hospital is leading the pack with a ground breaking initiative intended to minimize hospitalist workflow interruption and to improve hospitalist satisfaction.  I saw this sign below posted on the entry to a patient unit.  This is the new paging protocol for hospitalists.  What does this mean for doctor-nurse communication?  It means, except under grave circumstances, hospitalists will no longer accept pages between the hours of 1pm and 2 pm.  This is their quiet time.    It is their time of healing.    I knew our administrators were amazing, but this is over the top!  Hallelujah!

My covert inside sources tell me that if this paging protocol for hospitalists is successful, pending completion of the one week, single unit trial,  hospital wide implementation will begin with expanded hours (1pm -12pm).  Us hospitalists have agreed to sacrifice our lunch hour to be available for pages.   Now that's what I call groundbreaking policy!