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5 SIMPLE ACTIONS TO IMPROVE PATIENT EXPERIENCE

Guest Contributors

Scott Garavet, MBA

Kevin C. “Casey” Nolan

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Providing excellent clinical outcomes is the top priority of healthcare providers. But when patients and their families walk into a healthcare facility, it’s about the entire experience. Not only do they want to feel secure in the care they’re about to receive, they want to feel important. They want to know that healthcare professionals and their staff are focused on giving them the highest quality of care available, both during and after the visit.

While delivering an exceptional patient experience isn’t always easy, it is highly important. Today’s changing healthcare landscape demands high value and high patient satisfaction scores for any CV service line to succeed. So, what can you do to ensure the patient experience and CV service line are in a class of their own?

Below, learn 5 simple actions that can help your service line provide an exceptional patient experience.

Create a patient-centric culture
Create a patient-centric culture
It’s one thing to think “patient first,” but it’s another to put these thoughts into action. That’s why it’s important to create a patient-centric culture. This culture needs to be adopted across the entire CV service line, no matter what role.

“Culture is what people do when nobody’s watching.”

- Kevin C. “Casey” Nolan
Managing Director
Navigant Consulting, Inc.

Start by putting yourself in your patient’s shoes. What level of service would you expect? What are some things that would make you feel like you’re in good hands during each visit? Why would you come back if you needed to?
Once you’ve answered these questions, it starts with you. Embody what you want staff members to emulate. Each day, live the values that will elevate the patient experience. Empower every staff member to think about how they can impact all patients that walk through the doors of your facility.
Simple actions you can take today - Lead by example—embrace the patients-centric culture in your daily work - Provide recognition and appreciation of a job well done through conversation, email, or even personalized handwritten notes - Create a monthly reward recognizing an employee who lives the patient-centric culture
 
Invest in your staff
In order to deliver a seamless patient experience, it’s important to support staff members with the appropriate tools and resources. This can be anything from skills training to team-building exercises. Investing in the development of staff members shows dedication to their success. Your dedication and willingness to invest in staff will only help further their commitment to providing excellent care for all patients served.
Simple actions you can take today - Arrange training and education sessions for staff members that help develop quality skills needed to improve the patient experience - Challenge employees with new opportunities so they can demonstrate their full potential - Constantly engage staff members and show them how their daily hard work contributes to your CV service line’s success
 
Focus on personalization
Never overlook the simple things. Even the smallest action can make a big impact on how a patient perceives their experience. Whether it’s spending a few extra minutes getting to know them or empathizing with their current state of health—minor adjustments in care can make all the difference.
Simple actions you can take today - Listen, then take action - Spend a few extra minutes getting to know each patient - Empathize with their current state of health
When a patient knows their voice is heard and action is taken, they may feel more: - Engaged in their care or treatment plan - Empowered to take necessary steps to improve their health - Satisfied in the care they received
 
Reinforce the patient experience with timely follow-up
Patients can have the best experience, but if you neglect to check in on them and ask how they are doing afterward, they may still give negative satisfaction scores. Missing this opportunity to extend the patient experience beyond the walls of your institution can compromise the experience you worked so hard for.
This is why following up is key. After each visit, it’s important to work diligently to maintain the excellent reputation you’ve built.
Reinforce the patient experience with timely follow-up
Simple actions you can take today - Ensure a follow-up system is in place for teams to call patients - Personalize each call with a message specific to the treatment the patient received - Be available if the patient does have additional questions regarding their treatment
 
Get direct feedback
Refine, review, revise
In addition to surveys patients receive after their visit, it’s critical to get direct feedback from them before they leave your facility. This feedback can provide an opportunity to gauge how the patient experience is, and more importantly, how it can improve. Go beyond asking standard questions like, “How was your visit today?”. Ask direct questions that will get a more informative response and help the patient experience grow.
Simple actions you can take today To evolve the patient experience, ask patients questions that will bring insights, like: What is one thing you would change about your experience at our facility today? Would you recommend us to others? Please explain why or why not. Did staff members make you feel important during your appointment? Did staff members listen carefully to you and answer any questions you may have had?
 
Discover how you can solicit the constructive feedback needed to improve your CV service line today!
 

Evolve your patient experience,
evolve your CV service line

Providing an excellent patient experience in healthcare goes deeper than just quality treatment. A seamless patient experience requires hard work and dedication, but these simple actions can transform your CV service line. So, build a patient-centric culture, invest in your staff, put the patient first at all points of care, and watch your top-notch patient experience unfold.

“We’re all on the same team, so the question really becomes, can we as an institution put the
patient first?”

Scott Garavet, MBA
Vice President
Cardiovascular, Spine, and Orthopedics System
ThedaCare

 

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