Final answer:
A healthcare quality professional at a hospice agency should analyze the reasons behind patient dissatisfaction from the survey results and implement strategies to improve pain management services to meet the 90% satisfaction target rate.
Step-by-step explanation:
A hospice agency conducted a satisfaction survey of all 200 patients currently receiving pain management services, and 170 patients indicated that they were satisfied, while 30 were not. Given that the agency has set a target satisfaction rate of 90%, the current satisfaction rate stands at 85%. In this situation, a healthcare quality professional should analyze the survey data to understand the reasons behind the dissatisfaction of the 30 patients who said no and identify areas for improvement. The professional should then develop and implement strategies to enhance the pain management services, potentially including staff training, process changes, or patient education, to meet or exceed the target satisfaction rate.
Research supports the effectiveness of hospice care in improving patient and family satisfaction, indicating that patients in hospice tend to live longer and report higher satisfaction due to being able to remain at home and receive comprehensive care (Connor, Pyenson, Fitch, Spence, & Iwasaki, 2007; Brumley et al., 2007). Thus, it's crucial for the hospice to maintain high standards of care, as patient satisfaction is a significant indicator of quality in hospice services.