Guest post by Jason A. Wolf, Ph.D., president of The Beryl Institute, where he specializes in organizational effectiveness, service excellence and high performance in healthcare.
I shared in previous posts that we must consider patient experience from the eyes of our consumers--the patients and families we serve. This reinforces the point that experience is not just about satisfaction or smiles, but rather a critical integration of our efforts focused on quality, safety and service.
I also made the point that experience is not bound by the walls of our clinics, hospitals or residences, but rather transcends the boundaries of buildings to the continuum people experience. It encompasses not only the clinical touch points, but all the points before, after and in between--from schedule and access, to transitions of care, to billing or post-visit follow-ups. This all encompassing view may seem overwhelming, but I'd rather suggest it gives us a broad playing field in which to focus our efforts, understand the needs of those we work with and serve, and then provide the best in solutions to fit our environment, our focus and our purpose.
It's on this framing--the integration of quality, safety and service at all touch points on the continuum of care--that I return to a fundamental thought about what influences patient experience excellence.
Read the full commentary at Hospital Impact