Almost every major industry on this planet is obsessed with its customers. Businesses view understanding customer behaviors, attitudes and needs as not only critical to their success, but as an integral part of their daily decision making at all levels of the organization. It is included as part of strategic, financial and other key decisions.
This begs the question: Why don't health systems, hospitals and providers seem to be as obsessed with changing the experience to meet the desires of their patients?
Unfortunately, most health systems haven't historically felt this obsession. Other businesses, especially those who depend on consumers’ discretionary spending like travel, restaurants and entertainment, intrinsically understand that they have to be better than their competitors to survive. They need to differentiate themselves based on the customer experience they provide. They become obsessed with their customers. That’s why businesses focus on making customer experience better.
The result is that these industries consistently earn business, taking consumers away from their competitors and establishing brand loyalty. The focus is to determine what consumers want, then obsessively focus on improving the experience.
Healthcare is different. The reality is, most people do not want to go to the doctor and certainly do not want to be admitted to the hospital. They go because they have to, and generally they go where their doctor tells them to or where their insurance covers. This has only gotten worse with the rise of narrow network plans and the growth of Medicare Advantage programs with preferred provider arrangements.
As an industry, there needs to be a change in mindset. We must shift from thinking “you are lucky to be able to see us,” to “we are so fortunate to have the privilege to care for you.” We need to work harder to fix the hassles of healthcare. To the vast majority of clinicians, healthcare is a vocation, not just a job. Speaking as a physician who has practiced for more than 30 years, it is truly an honor and a privilege to have someone trust you with their healthcare. For most of us, this is not only the type of work we believe we are most suited for, but also our life’s purpose. That’s why nurses and doctors are ranked as some of the most trusted professionals.
When it comes to experience, patients are aware of how they’re being treated. They know whether someone truly cares about them and wants to help them during what, for many, is a very stressful time. That is why it is critical to listen to our patients and use what we learn to improve their experience.
Health systems often see negative customer feedback with things as simple as scheduling or registration.
- Who do you call?
- Can you actually speak to a person?
- Why am I filling out this form … again?
Industries outside of healthcare have optimized the process of using insights directly from their customers. Obsession with patient experience is more than just making patients happy and driving business; it is about delivering high-quality care. It creates a culture that is focused on listening and taking action, which fuels trust, and the data show far better outcomes. Patients and staff are more likely to report concerns when the organizational culture promotes kindness, true listening and teamwork. That’s why 22% of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' Hospital Star Rating score is based on patient experience.
As the healthcare landscape is rapidly evolving, we have a unique opportunity to improve consumer experience by adopting and utilizing best practices from other industries like tourism, hospitality, entertainment, airline travel and others. We can use the tools they have developed across the experience continuum that focus on real-time listening to provide instantaneous feedback, creating a dynamic and responsive environment that fuels a cultural flywheel of patient-centricity. This approach will ensure that we can continuously monitor and enhance patient satisfaction. It will also enable us to make immediate and continuous adjustments to improve the care experience.
We recognize that healthcare can be intimidating for many, and alleviating factors that cause fear or anxiety is essential for enhancing both the patient experience and the quality of outcomes we strive to achieve. If the top priority is the patient, we should strive to remove friction, streamline care logistics and anticipate needs before they arise. By using an industry-agnostic measure of success like the Net Promoter Score, providers can understand and respond to patient satisfaction in real time and across all sites of care. This would allow our industry to better understand how we perform, and compare ourselves not only to other healthcare systems, but to brands from outside of healthcare.
From the initial appointment setup to registration, point of care and discharge, patients should be providing us with immediate feedback. This feedback is only actionable if it can then be shared in real time across all levels of the organization. Adopting a process like this, similar to what is done in other industries, would enable us to monitor performance, recognize our successes and address issues promptly.
In healthcare, our patients are our customers. We must put the patient at the center of everything we do. Adopting an approach that is obsessed with understanding and serving our patients and aligns with modern expectations is the only way to transform the healthcare industry to deepen human connections, reduce stress and dissatisfaction and deliver the highest possible level of care. Our patients deserve nothing less.
Richard Fogel, M.D., is the chief healthcare outcomes officer for nonprofit Catholic health system Ascension.