Patient experience is an important aspect of healthcare. This scope has continued to broaden as the demand for increased and better understanding of the wants and needs of the patients before, during, and after care increases. Healthcare systems have started to embrace technologies, practices, and tools intending to lead to customer-centricity. Most healthcare executives understand the need for patient experience in clinical outcomes and efficiencies. Improving patient experience is beneficial to healthcare, and it is important to be aware of current trends.
Use of X and O-data
Traditionally, healthcare systems did not combine operational data (O-data) with experience data (X-data) to provide health solutions. Instead, healthcare systems analyzed operational data, including clinical outcomes, safety events, and throughput measures separately from patient experience information. However, currently, healthcare systems use O-data and X-data to improve the quality of services provided, break silos, and encourage real change by offering a holistic view of the underlying factors. O-data gives an insight into what is happening, whereas X-data answers the question “why.” Both operation data and experience data are required for better identification and addressing of the main cause of the underlying performance issues.
Translating Consumerism into Action
Healthcare systems have introduced and adopted consumerism into action, which includes pre, during, and post-care.
Access-Pre-Care, whereby healthcare systems make use of strong digital knowledge to communicate with patients. Patients can easily reach out to doctors online and make appointments and recommend brands for others.
During care in which check-in to discharge, getting feedback while the patient is under care allows for reliable and efficient service interventions hence fostering loyalty and patient satisfaction. Healthcare centers have adopted the use of texts, QR codes, kiosks, and Google Home to interact with patients within a counter has helped to make patients feel heard and acknowledged.
Additionally, the translation includes post care which encompasses chronic health management like perioperative care and anesthesia care. This ensures effective cost management and long-term satisfaction of patients. Once a patient is discharged, the doctors stay in touch and provide care and essential information hence encouraging long-term patient relationships. Patients in perioperative care and anesthesia care require regular outreach for adherence to the treatment protocols.
Evidence-Based Practice
Following the current developments in the healthcare system, medicine has become evidence-based. The exemplary performance of healthcare systems does not only rely on medical knowledge but also in patient safety, patient experience and clinical effectiveness. Healthcare practitioners collect patient feedback through compliments for their morale. Additionally, doctors take patient complaints to improve their service delivery.
Currently, patient feedback is collected and analyzed systematically to provide actionable insight into performance and variation. Through this healthcare services have greatly improved hence offering high-quality services.
Application of Non-Healthcare Best Practices
The existing economy permeates all aspects of life; hence healthcare providers need to find a way on how to compete effectively. Improving customer experience in healthcare has been a critical competition regarding market share. All healthcare systems need to improve accessibility, convenience and the overall patient services for their sustainability and growth. Health care systems have implemented real-time closed-loop approaches aimed at empowering their medical staff to respond to patient needs effectively quickly.
Use of CAHPS
There is always a need for feedback captured at every stage of the patient journey. The feedback is used in the provision of customized healthcare solutions to the patients. Healthcare providers require information regarding the patient faster for them to take action at the moment that can improve CAHPS scores.
The CMS allows healthcare providers to ask questions before CAHPS survey sampling and administration. However, the CMS questions should be different from CAHPS questions. Asking specific, targeted and pointed questions regarding the diagnosis of the patient, treatment plan offers improved insight hence leading to more and faster impactful patient improvement. Healthcare providers process and ask questions that help them deliver quality services.