Find out how they plan to boost patient experience in the years to come.
The COVID-19 pandemic put patient experience on the back burner, but a survey from HealthLeaders suggests that this key component of value-based care has come back as a priority for healthcare providers.
The need to focus on patient experience never went away. It became a lower priority during the pandemic, when healthcare providers had to address more pressing concerns such as addressing patient surges.
With the nation's return to relative normalcy following the height of the pandemic, and the expected renewed push to value-based care underway, an emphasis on patient engagement—specifically the patient experience—is back.
How are healthcare providers doing on their patient experience efforts?
HealthLeaders' most-recent survey on patient experience found that healthcare providers report making inroads on patient experience metrics, while also acknowledging that more work remains.
"How will healthcare leaders improve their organizations' patient experience within the next three years?"
In this survey, HealthLeaders posed this open-ended question to healthcare executives to find out what these leaders are doing to boost patient experience at their hospitals. To gather the results, HealthLeaders conducted the 2023 Patient Clinical Experience Survey through an online poll as part of our series of thought leadership studies. More than 100 executives at healthcare provider organizations responded.
In reviewing their responses, similar themes stood out, such as dedication to staff training and education, listening to patients, and acting on patient suggestions, wants, and needs. Here are some answers that differed from those themes. All survey respondents' comments were anonymous.
"I believe patient navigators will play a huge role in improving patient clinical experience. Having the ability to assist patients in navigating the healthcare system is very important for successful patient outcomes and patient satisfaction. In today's health systems, patients are often left feeling overwhelmed with the decisions they have to make or even knowing where to start to make the decisions. Patient navigators can walk patients through these processes and enable them to make the right choices for their healthcare."
—VP of clinical services at a small physician organization
"Work on relationship-based care and change the culture."
—CNO at a small hospital
"More engagement with patients' families, etc., for appropriate discharge planning."
—VP of quality at a medium-sized health system
"Moving the priority of the clinical experience up in the strategic plan so that it receives the needed focus."
—CFO at a medium-sized health system
"Hire the best people. Reward and celebrate their successes quarterly!"
—COO at a small hospital
Read the entire survey report here.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The COVID-19 pandemic drew attention away from patient experience at health systems and hospitals, but it is now a renewed focus point, according to a recent HealthLeaders Intelligence Report.
Survey respondents said they are making inroads on patient experience metrics, but they acknowledged that more work remains.