Patient Experience in Hospitals: Challenges and Opportunities - Essay Sample

Introduction

81% of all health systems executives believe that making the patient experience better at hospitals is critical for the success of the organization (Makkar and Jain, 2019). Because of the recent shift to value-based care, more focus is now on the patient’s experience. Nonetheless, nationally, the state of patient experience in hospitals is still wanting; this is not surprising, and the blame lies on the economic model of the healthcare industry, which has stood for long before the recent implementation of the value-based model. For the whole healthcare industry to adapt to the new model, it is going to take a while. That is the case at Northeast Valley Health Corporation (NVHC) Pacoima; after formal and informal interviews of patients and healthcare workers, a conclusion is reached that the state of patient’s experience at the hospital was wanting and required improvement. At the hospital, patient wait times are too long, communication is not the best, and some services can be considered unprofessional. The better client experience will not only improve the reputation of the organization, but it will also lead to earlier detection of diseases, improved clinical outcomes, reduction of cost, high revenues for the organization, among other benefits.

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Background Discussion

Patient experience is said to be among the essential things that an organization should get right; better patient services can overcome poor marketing. Potential clients at the moment have a variety of choices to choose from when it comes to picking a suitable healthcare provider; they can compare services and then select the best. A report by Walkerinfo claims that by the end of 2020, customer experience will have surpassed product and price as the critical differentiator; it will be the most decisive factor (Berkowitz, 2016). Poor patient experience can cost the hospital a lot of money; it leads to the loss of loyal customers. It takes much more money and effort to acquire a new customer than it takes to retain an already existing one. The United States Institute of Medicine has suggested that the delivery of high-quality healthcare should be sufficient, safe, patient-centered, equitable, efficient, and timely (Makkar and Jain, 2019). Also, Berwick et al. have emphasized the significance of patient experience claiming that it is one of the suggested “triple aims” of any healthcare system that claims to be advanced.

According to Makkar and Jain (2019), better communication goes a long way in enhancing customer satisfaction. It leads to better patient outcomes, and an example is where there is improved control of blood pressure in patients with hypertension. They also claim that there exists a close relationship between poor communication between healthcare workers and patients and medical errors (Makker and Jain, 2019). This reason also points to the need for this strategic plan proposal. Berkowitz (2016) notes that because of the continuous evolvement of the healthcare industry under conditions of high levels of competition, healthcare workers have a challenge to see to that patients get better experience which in turns the patients’ satisfaction and loyalty; this makes the organization remain competitive in the market. This reason also points to the need for this strategic plan. When weighing reimbursement to hospitals, Medicare evaluates patient satisfaction (Lang, 2012). Lang (2012) also claims that excellent communication is a critical determining factor when it comes to ensuring improved patient outcomes and patient satisfaction. Failing to consider the needs of the patients and not listening to these patients is one of the biggest mistakes any practicing medical practitioner can make’ it may lead to dissatisfied patients, poor reputation, and lost business (Meloncon, 2017); hence the need for this strategic plan.

Stakeholders

This strategic plan will involve several stakeholders in its implementation. Also, the application will impact several stakeholders. The major internal stakeholders that will be involved in this plan include physicians and the management of the organization, who will see to it that the implementation of the plan. The internal departments that will be involved with the plan include the nursing administration, the human resource, customer and patient relations, the nursing administration, quality/performance improvement, and the senior leadership. The patient experience director, Mr. Sham Dave will act as an essential resource to the implementation of the strategic plan; he will see to it that the plan follows a multi-disciplinary approach and that it accounts for the patient experience cause. The human resource will be involved in ensuring that all the needed personnel who will see to it the plan is a success are available at the hospital. The nursing will be involved and engaged early on in the process. External stakeholders include patients, insurance companies, and pharmaceutical firms. The strategy is based on information from patients through surveys, stories, concerns, compliments, and data from the hospital.

Outcome Statement and Evaluation Plan

The expected outcome from the implementation of this strategic plan includes the following: To recognize patients as equal partners in the care; the trust which will continue to work in partnership with patients, the local community and all the stakeholders to ensure that the care received by the patient is not only comprehensive but also, person-centered which meets the psychological, emotional, physical and social needs of the individual. The aim is also to continue promoting culture at the hospital that puts excellent patient experience as a priority. The plan aims to improve the patient experience by listening to the patients and acting upon that information through several forums. The development of the services will not only be based on the users’ needs and wishes but also those of the surrounding community; it would be central to the hospital’s decision making. There will be development and implementation of policies to enhance the experience of individuals, an example of this is pets as therapy, the hospital will also ensure that the application of the strategy” hello, my name” strategy in all patient areas. Next will be the implementation of policies that protect the privacy and dignity of the patients. Awareness promotion of the significance of better patient experience will. Also, a must is a consultation of the stakeholders involved in implementing the plan. The accomplishment of the strategic plan should be within five weeks.

A formed committee will conduct the evaluation and monitoring of the plan; the committee is the Patient Experience Committee (PEC). It will involve a composite indicator that includes hard and soft metrics to provide monthly surveillance of the hospital performance concerning the patient’s experience. Every quarter there will be a presentation of all the activities in the plan. It will be in a report form to the Quality and Effectiveness committee. Two categories will be used for the evaluation measures; process measures and outcome measures. The latter will include the achievement of the agreed patient experience action plan each year and analysis of patient survey results and actions that have been taken to improve the experience. The process measures will include the number of unresolved and overdue patient complaints, the number of patient complaints where staff attitude is a factor, and the number of complaints where communication is a factor.

Conclusion

The Department of Health has defined good patient experience as getting the right treatment in a safe, calm, and comfortable environment and in a reassuring way. It has the relevant information to make the right choices, to feel in control, and to feel confident; communication with the healthcare provider that is honest, respectful, equal, and with dignity. The adaptation of this plan will see to it that patient experience at the hospital is improved, which will not only enhance the reputation of the hospital but also enhance the revenue of the organization as a result of high client retention.

References

Berkowitz, B. (2016). The patient experience and patient satisfaction: measurement of a complex dynamic. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 21(1).

Lang, E. V. (2012). A better patient experience through better communication. Journal of Radiology Nursing, 31(4), 114-119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jradnu.2012.08.001

Makkar, N., Jain, K., Siddharth, V., & Sarkar, S. (2019). Patient Involvement in Decision-Making: An Important Parameter for Better Patient Experience—An Observational Study (STROBE Compliant). Journal of patient experience, 6(3), 231-237. https://doi.org/10.1177/2374373518790043

Meloncon, L. K. (2017). Patient experience design: Expanding usability methodologies for healthcare. Communication Design Quarterly Review, 5(2), 19-28. https://doi.org/10.1145/3131201.3131203