According to new research, the patient experience is one of the top three priorities of hospital leaders over the next three years.* It is clearly time to refocus on the person at the center of care. Many organizations are struggling to understand what patient-centered care truly means, and what it really looks like. Everyone has a role in the patient journey: from the arrivals parking attendant, to the CEO and clinical staff, including environmental services and the check-out receptionist. Successful hospitals provide an exceptional patient experience. Organizations with a culture that focuses on patients are rewarded with higher clinical quality and efficiency, a safer patient environment, greater employee engagement, and improved financial results.
By putting the emphasis on a patient’s care experience — including respect, partnership, shared decision making, well-coordinated transitions, and efficiency — hospitals see improvements in their patient satisfaction survey data and HCAHPS. Because HCAHPS scores are publically available, hospitals scoring high on them can attract more patients, providers, and payers.
For organizations seeking to make their care more patient-centered, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) is offering a groundbreaking seminar, The Patient Experience: Improving Safety, Efficiency, and HCAHPS Through Patient-Centered Care. This seminar will equip health care professionals with concrete tools and a roadmap for integration of new practices into existing processes. Join us to learn new ways to view the real patient experience, effective communication and leadership strategies, and behaviors that will lead to cross-cutting positive results.