Patient Experience

One of the best books I read in 2017 is Patients Come Second: Leading Change by Changing the Way You Lead, by Paul Spiegelman and Britt Berrett. In the first chapter, the authors talk about the patient experience.

“What does ‘patient experience’ mean, anyway? A group of patient experience leaders across the country, whose research was sponsored by The Beryl Institute, coined the following definition of patient experience: ‘The sum of all interactions, shaped by an organization’s culture, that influence patient perception across the continuum of care.’ Here is a less MBA-like explanation: The patient experience centers around the story you tell your spouse when you get home from your appointment. Nobody comes home after a surgery saying, ‘Man, that was the best suturing I’ve ever seen!’ or, ‘Sweet, they took out the correct kidney!’ Instead, we talk about the people who took care of us, the ones who coordinated the whole procedure – everyone from the receptionist to the nurses to the surgeon. And we don’t just tell these stories around the dinner table. We share our experiences through conversations with friends and colleagues and via social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.”

What stories are being created by the people on your team? What are the experiences that our patients are telling their families and friends when they get home about their interactions with the people you serve?

Action

Ask your team regularly how they can create “above and beyond” moments for the people they serve. Encourage them to do the little things that enhance the patient experience, that create positive stories.