In my role as a breast cancer surgeon and director of a breast care center, I have developed a vested interest in ensuring that each patient receives comprehensive, patient-centered care and a positive care experience. Not only is it the right thing to do, it is a core component of competitive strategy in today’s healthcare environment. I can also attest from my own journey as a patient how important the care experience is to overall well-being and recovery.
A recently published systematic review demonstrated that patient experience was positively associated with patient safety and clinical effectiveness across a wide range of disease areas, clinical settings, population groups and outcome measures. The findings provide strong evidence for including patient experience as a core component of healthcare quality.
It may be important to further define “patient experience”. Patient experience is not about making healthcare into Disney World or the Ritz Carlton. Rather, patient experience gets to the core of our values in healthcare. It means providing care that is free from harm, minimizes redundancy and waste, allows timely access to needed services, follows best practices, and incorporates patients’ preferences and treatment priorities. The following are four proven strategies for ensuring this type of exceptional care experience.
Communicate: Communication is the cornerstone of excellence in patient care. Our communication should be timely, transparent, and tailored to each patient's understanding. It is through our communication that we can also convey empathy and compassion. Never underestimate the power of saying the right word at the right time. The goal is to produce a high-quality interaction during which patients feel valued, listened to, and receive clear explanations. Studies have shown that simply sitting down at the bedside with a patient, instead of standing, improves patient satisfaction, physician-patient interactions and patients’ understanding of their condition.
Accommodate: If communication is the cornerstone of excellent patient care, then our ability to accommodate the needs of our patients is the central pillar. This includes ensuring coordination of care services, easy and convenient healthcare, clean and quiet healing environments, attentiveness to symptom management and supportive care. The focus is providing patient-centered care, where every aspect of the health system is optimally designed to be of service to our patients. To be successful, we must incorporate patients into our care design committees in order to truly build systems that meet their needs.
Respect: Showing respect for our patients’ values, preferences and treatment goals is the foundation of trust and rapport. Treat patients with dignity, be sensitive to cultural values, and honor patients’ autonomy. We should strive to involve patients in decision-making by seeking their input. Respect is also demonstrated by asking patients how they would like to be referred to, and showing consideration with sensitive information in shared rooms. We are guests in out patients’ lives, and should act accordingly.
Engage: Empowering our patients to be engaged in self-care is paramount to improving clinical outcomes. When we educate and engage patients about their conditions, they not only show superior outcomes, but also greater satisfaction with care. Even the act of verbally explaining the process of care to patients leads to improved treatment adherence and reduced anxiety.
Finally, engagement also refers to the role of healthcare professionals in care transformation. Meaningful innovations in healthcare will come from those of us on the front lines of patient care. We all have the responsibility of transforming healthcare into what we know it needs to be for our patients. Real change lies with individuals, not institutions. It will require all of us working together on this common purpose. Together we can transform the patient experience and ensure that each patient receives exceptional patient care.
Ted James, MD, MHCM is a clinical chief, medical director and professor of surgery at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School.Dr. James also serves as a physician coach and healthcare speaker for Studer Group.
FAQs
It means providing care that is free from harm, minimizes redundancy and waste, allows timely access to needed services, follows best practices, and incorporates patients' preferences and treatment priorities. The following are four proven strategies for ensuring this type of exceptional care experience.
What do you do to ensure a patient has an exceptional care experience? ›
10 Key Strategies to Improve Patient Experience
- Minimize wait times. ...
- Ensure a clean environment. ...
- Make waiting areas comfortable. ...
- Minimize paperwork. ...
- Involve patients in their own care. ...
- Request verbal understanding. ...
- Demonstrate empathy and compassion. ...
- Encourage employee engagement.
How to Improve Quality of Care in Healthcare
- Prioritize Training and Education. The nursing staff at your facility or residence is key to improving quality. ...
- Increase Access to Care. ...
- Engage Patients and Families. ...
- Improve Communication. ...
- Measure and Monitor Quality. ...
- Set Tangible Goals. ...
- Relay Progress Back to Staff.
Five examples of patient-centered care
- Create individualized wellness plans. ...
- Encourage collaborative decision-making. ...
- Build relationships through compassionate communication. ...
- Provide patients with emotional support. ...
- Facilitate internal information sharing and coordination of care.
It means showing the customer how important he or she is to you and the business by interacting with he or she in a friendly, helpful and positive way. The idea is to leave a lasting impression on customers by working with them and assisting them in the best way possible.
How do you believe you can contribute to excellent patient care? ›
Personal Engagement
Personal engagement means getting to know the patient, listening to them, and being empathetic. Empathy makes patients feel like they are in a safe space. When we engage with our patients, it shows our desire to help them, which improves a patient's stay in the hospital.
How do you provide exceptional customer service in healthcare? ›
What are the most important aspects of customer service in healthcare?
- Communication for healthcare professionals.
- Empathy and understanding in patient interactions.
- Timely and efficient service delivery.
- Respect for patient privacy, preferences, and dignity.
- Implement an EHR.
- Utilize a patient portal.
Attention. Giving patients your full attention and listening to what they have to say shows that you are committed to collaborating with them and providing them with the best care. Listen to what patients have to say; you can learn 90% of what's wrong by letting them speak for just 3 to 4 minutes without interruption.
How do you provide excellent care to patients? ›
Best practices for delivering quality patient care
- Show respect. ...
- Express gratitude. ...
- Enable access to care. ...
- Involve patients' family members and friends. ...
- Coordinate patient care with other providers. ...
- Provide emotional support. ...
- Engage patients in their care plan. ...
- Address your patients' physical needs.
Patient-centered: Providing care that is respectful of and responsive to individual patient preferences, needs and values, ensuring that patients' values guide all clinical decisions. Timely: Reducing waits and sometimes harmful delays for both those who receive and provide care.
Top 8 Things to Improve Patient Safety
- Support a culture of safety. ...
- Communicate well. ...
- Perform basic care and follow checklists. ...
- Engage your patients. ...
- Learn from incidents and near misses. ...
- Take care of yourself. ...
- Follow infection control protocols. ...
- Get involved.
Quality of care is the degree to which health services for individuals and populations increase the likelihood of desired health outcomes. It is based on evidence-based professional knowledge and is critical for achieving universal health coverage.
What are the 5 key elements of patient-centered care? ›
Research by the Picker Institute has delineated 8 dimensions of patient-centered care, including: 1) respect for the patient's values, preferences, and expressed needs; 2) information and education; 3) access to care; 4) emotional support to relieve fear and anxiety; 5) involvement of family and friends; 6) continuity ...
What are the principles of respectful care? ›
These five principles are safety, dignity, independence, privacy, and communication. Nurse assistants keep these five principles in mind as they perform all of their duties and actions for the patients in their care. The first principle is safety.
What does excellent patient care mean to you interview question? ›
It means comforting them when they need to be comforted, being an advocate, a good listener, a teacher, an encourager, and help them achieve their goals for recovery.
What does it mean to provide exceptional service? ›
Exceptional customer service is the unconditional commitment to giving the highest level of product or service to every person, regardless of the circ*mstances. It doesn't matter if the customer is at fault for the issue.
How to answer what does patient care mean to you? ›
It means comforting them when they need to be comforted, being an advocate, a good listener, a teacher, an encourager, and help them achieve their goals for recovery.
What does good patient care mean to you? ›
Patient care ensures that the patient is kept happy and comfortable with their wellbeing in mind. It is their right to be treated with dignity and care, and they have the right to have their privacy maintained.
What does exceptionally caring mean? ›
Extraordinary care means taking great care of something or someone. It means going above and beyond what is expected to make sure that everything is done perfectly and with great attention to detail. It is like giving something or someone special treatment because they are important and deserve the best possible care.
