Studies have found that the vast majority of hospital patient complaints are related to the customer service they receive, specifically in the areas of:

• Staff/Patient Communication: 53 percent

• Long Wait Times: 35 percent

• Practice Staff Behavior: 12 percent

• Billing Discrepencies: 2 percent

These patient complaints are a huge concern of nursing staff and administrators because they directly affect HCAHPS scores and other hospital ratings.

Patients vs. Customers

According to the surveys taken, patients believe that their hospital's staff were great at treating them medically, but they often suffered when it came to treating them like paying customers. This is important for hospitals to address because their patients can choose which hospital to go to for treatment.

The first step to improving satisfaction is to understand where patients feel hospitals can improve. Only then can hospital staff focus on increasing HCAHPS scores using the tools that they have. One of the best tools they can use are whiteboards, which have been shown to greatly improve communication between patients and hospital workers.

Here's the full list of the most common hospital patient complaints, according to the US News and World Report:

#1: Sleep Interruptions

Patients do not like to be disturbed throughout the night, but it is often necessary because their vitals must be taken. If they are disturbed, they would like to know exactly why their vitals need to be taken.

*Whiteboard Tip: Write down the approximate time nurses will enter a patient's room at night to take vital readings. This will prepare patients for the awakening before they go to bed.

#2: Noise Disruptions at Night

Patients frequently hear noises throughout the night, particularly those coming from televisions or the nursing station.

#3: Loss of Personal Belongings

Patients often complain that their personal belongings go missing while they are in the hospital.

#4 Staff Entering Without Knocking

Patients see this as a sign of disrespect. Their room in the hospital is a private space, and should be treated as such.

#5: Whiteboards Not Being Updated and #6 Lack of Clear Communication

Patients want themselves, and their families to be keep in the loop on upcoming schedules, particularly those that involve medications, testing, meals, procedures and discharge dates. So hospital staff must keep their custom whiteboards updated with the most current information.

*Whiteboard Tip: Display as much patient information as you can on the whiteboard. Everything from medications to allergies, schedules, upcoming procedures and more. Patients and their families will thank you.

#7: Dirty Rooms

Patients spend nearly all their time in their personal room, so it's not surprising that they want it be clean, smell nice and kept germ free.

*Whiteboard Tip: Choose a whiteboard that is easy to clean and disinfect. Whiteboards are always in the line of sight for patients and their families.

#8: Feeling Disengaged from Their Care

Patients often feel helpless when they are in the hospital. It helps for both their physical and mental wellbeing to be kept involved in the decisions regarding their care.

*Whiteboard Tip: Use the whiteboard during rounds with the patient. Frequently discuss the information you write on the board to make sure that patients understand the why, when, and how behind each procedure and test.

#9: Lack of Knowledge or Room Maintenance and Schedules

From working the television to how to order food, cleaning schedules, etc., patients want to know their way around their own room, including how to operate the necessary devices.

*Whiteboard Tip: Clearly write who to contact if they can't figure out how to work the TV, call button, bed controls, etc. on your whiteboard so that the patient can refer to them.

#10: Professionalism

Many patients believe hospital workers, particularly those on their break, act unprofessionally. They also associate this unprofessionalism as a reflection of the level of care they have been and will be receiving.

Customize Whiteboards as a Solution

Even though custom whiteboards can't solve all of the most common patient complaints, they can help with a lot of them. With communication being the top source of complaints, it pays to focus on improving in that area in order to make patients feel more comfortable and satisfied with their stay.