What is the effect of Relationship Based Care to employee, physician and patient outcomes?

Purpose:
The purpose of this research project is to determine the effect of a structured program, Relationship Based Care, on team member caring behaviors, patient satisfaction, employee satisfaction and physician satisfaction for cancer care at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center (OLOL)?

Background/Significance:
Relationship Based Care is a core set of principles and values that come together to create a culture in which the caregiver-patient relationship is held as sacred and every policy, process, practice and behavior functions to strengthen this relationship. While the program is intuitive and there are a variety of articles addressing the importance of RBC there are no published research studies to date that relate the effect of Relationship Based Care on caring behavior, specifically.

Methods:
All employees participated in the Caring Behaviors Inventory before & after the RBC program. Comparatively, the CBI was administered to patients, with an oncology or auto-immune disorder before & after the program. Physicians who attend the quarterly staff meeting before and after the program participated in the MD survey. Inpatients randomly selected to receive a survey from Press Ganey; were discharged during the study period and returned their survey were included in the patient satisfaction sample. And finally, employees that complete the Morehead annual employee survey were included in the employee satisfaction sample.

Results:
631 employees completed the CBI with a mean score of 131.96. Nurses were slightly less caring (µ=130.25)than non-nurses(133.42)although the different was not statistically significant(p=.20).The CBI was completed by 117 inpatients.The CBI mean score was 123.06 with a range of 95-144.The total patient CBI mean score was significantly lower(p=.043) than the employees mean score of 131.96. Based on our Employee Satisfactions scores our nurses are highly committed to the organization(µ = 3.91). Physicians perceived nurses as caring(µ=5.91); while patients felt that the nurse showed care and concern (µ=84.1) Follow-up data pending but will be available for the conference.

Conclusions and Implications for Practice:
Conclusions pending based on completion of post analysis which will occur before the meeting.