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By the Numbers: Evidence Mounting of Increase Importance of Patient Experience, Healthcare Consumerism
Finally (just in case you aren't yet convinced), a 2009 survey of healthcare consumers found still more evidence of a rise in consumerism. In that survey, respondents said they want more information to help them make decisions about where to go for care.
"Consumers want better performance from their healthcare system," writes Paul Keckley, executive director of the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions in Washington, DC, which conducted the survey. "They think it is wasteful, inefficient, complex, and expensive. They are frustrated with the tools useful to them in making decisions about their health are not readily available … They want better value for the dollars they spend and believe fundamental changes are necessary to achieve those goals."
It's pretty hard to ignore those kinds of numbers. True, not everyone is looking up quality and price data online or demanding a better experience when they visit the hospital. But if you're still feeling skeptical about patient experience, indifferent about consumer-driven healthcare, and neutral about transparency, it might be time to catch up with the rest of the healthcare industry—and get in step with patients themselves.
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Gienna Shaw is a senior technology editor with HealthLeaders magazine. She can be reached at gshaw@healthleadersmedia.com.
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Deb Andelt (7/23/2009 at 1:35 PM)
Bruce Lipton's "The Biology of Belief," provides a whole new perspective on why the experience matters. As a research scientist, he concludes that our environment (all the input we get from our senses - from people, processes as well as things like the color of rooms - in other words our experience) impacts our beliefs and our biology. Everyone is always having an experience. Do you know how your experience is impacting patients and staff? As a business strategy, what would happen if all aspects of the experience were adjusted to support healing?
Kristin Baird, RN, BSN, MHA (7/22/2009 at 3:39 PM)
I'm glad to see that health care leaders are beginning to focus more on the patient experience. The overarching question on the minds of patients is; Can I trust them? That questions is answered during multiple moments of truth throughout a patient experience. The culture, and the experiences that it creates will determine the answer. As for quality - that is in the eye of the beholder. The consumer expects clinical competence. Health care organizations and the people delivering service (both clinical and non-clinical)play a significant role in creating the experience. The best practices are those that have moved customer service and the patient experiencing beyond 'smile lessons' and into core strategies with clear standards and accountabilities. It's no longer fluff - service and the resulting patient experience is mission critical.