Image of the patient experience

Everyone is a patient at some point in their lives.

Whether you are going for a routine check-up or taking your mother in for knee surgery, the patient experience impacts us all. As a healthcare worker, it is especially important to recognize this and be emboldened by our ability to make a difference.

Patient experience goes beyond mere satisfaction. It encompasses clinical measures, safety, quality and the environment. It personalizes the patient’s care and strengthens the relationship between the hospital and the individual.  In short, it is everything. Unlike other service industries such as retail and hospitality, however, healthcare can be more difficult to navigate for the layperson. This means that we need to take the extra step to make sure that our patients and their family members always know what is happening and why. If an issue does arise, keep the following words in mind: Listen, Apologize, Solve, and Thank. These words are what makes a service recovery effort a successful one.

Remember, it is up to us to set up the expectation for how the patient will feel about their experience. There will always be opportunities to improve and always more good that we can do for our patients.