Summa Health System Cuts Grievance Case Settlement Time with i-Sight Software

Summa Health System, one of the biggest unified healthcare delivery systems in Ohio, has cut its grievance settlement time from 31 days to 17 days by implementing i-Sight compliance investigation software  from Customer Expressions Corporation (CEC).

As regulated by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Summa is required to track and follow-up on grievances within 30 days with communication either via letter, phone call or email, depending on patient preferences. Summa had been using a combination of systems for tracking with inadequate results.

“We had paper, files, spreadsheets, e-mails going all over the place, with no one really knowing who was resolving what or no one really knowing actually how long it took to resolve grievances. There was very little tracking and control, only individual results and never any analysis,” said Carmen Natale, MS, System Director. “We were looking for a system that was easy to use and supported a decentralized model. We also needed something configurable because at the time we were looking there weren’t any designed for health care specifically.” She concluded, “From the time we started using it, we’ve reduced our average time to close from 31 days to 17 days.”

Analysis of this extensive, integrated data also yielded a valuable conclusion – that 35% of grievances were about attitude and communication. So by implementing this better communication system, Summa expects be able to cut down its overall grievance rate.

For more information on Customer Expressions Corporation and i-Sight software, visit www.customerexpressions.com  call 1.800.465.6089, or email info@customerexpressions.com.