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intangible patient experience

Your Real Brand is What the Patient Experiences

Recently, we were talking with a marketing savvy client about the real meaning of patient experience. We agreed with Jill Mathison, VP Ambulatory Services, Pomona Valley Hospital and Medical Center, that it’s a tough concept to define, and a challenge to translate into a hospital brand and branding message. But the hard truth, we concluded, is that […]

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Unlocking H2H: The Key to Everything in Patient Experience

There is a temptation for healthcare professionals to be drawn to the “big picture.” Communicators want to reach a large audience. Administrators are concerned about a facility’s daily population and the percentage beds occupied. Marketing minds consider wide service territories. And advertising plans want to know the reach and frequency. There’s nothing wrong with big picture […]

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Patient Manifesto: Understanding the Patient’s Perspective

There’s a fundamental gem of universally helpful business advice. That is, doctors should walk into their office—at least occasionally—through the front door. The idea is for the business owner to see and experience what their customer sees and experiences. In reality, there are many reasons that this doesn’t happen. But it remains solid advice that […]

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Improving Patient Experience with One Short Phrase

There’s a three-word phrase that successful doctors use often in interacting with others. Civic leaders, business executives and sales people all use it effortlessly—and effectively. It’s one simple, short phrase that easily fits in conversation, and works wonders in improving communications and patient experience. Here it is: “Tell me more.” For sales people, simply saying, […]

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Indifference: The Sure-Fire Patient Satisfaction Killer

Perhaps the most consistent complaint about assessing patient experience and patient satisfaction is that some things are difficult to quantify, measure or report in a meaningful way. Quite often, it’s not about the clinical quality of care. Satisfaction is about intangible feelings of respect, both real and imagined. Among the five reasons that people don’t like […]

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Experiential Marketing: The Untapped Advantage for Doctors and Hospitals

When big-budget advertisers are determined to make a brand-awareness splash with the public, they often need elaborate (and expensive) preparation. The textbook label is Experiential Marketing, defined as “a form of advertising intended to customers experience the brand.” Fortunately, doctors and hospitals have a largely untapped advantage over consumer and retail brands when it comes to […]

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Overcoming the Dichotomy of Professional Distance

A physician recently reminded us: “Doctors are trained to be impersonal.” In saying this, they were struggling to balance the apparent dichotomy between maintaining professional distance and bringing empathy and engagement to patient-centered care. A common course for some doctors is to cling to a traditional hierarchy that elevates the physician to a superior role. […]

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Patient Experience: Innovation Breakthrough or Lipstick on a Pig?

A professional colleague has an insightful perspective on what’s good, and what’s not so good, about “patient experience.” Admittedly, his viewpoint is purely experiential. He speaks only as a patient, and as family caregiver, who has seen many doctors’ offices. It’s not scientific, but the assessment rings true with many people. Let me know if […]

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innovation healthjam

Patient Satisfaction Solutions From a Virtual Brainstorm [Infographic]

Question: What happens when you bring together thousands of individuals from healthcare and technology—and you challenge them create solutions for patient satisfaction, patient experience and other pressing healthcare issues? Answer: The unique virtual brainstorm session, labeled Innovation HealthJam, identifies over 250 actionable ideas—potential solutions and improvements—to help shape the future of healthcare. Here’s how that […]

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Heinz Product VS User Experience small

Designing the Patient Experience: Getting to the Next-Level

The Heinz ketchup image—designing the product vs. designing the experience—can be seen as an excellent visual metaphor about efforts to enhance and improve the patient experience. During the past few years, “patient satisfaction,” “patient-centered care,” and “patient experience” have evolved from vaguely defined catch phrases to proactive, top-down hospital initiatives. Industry wide, hospitals and health […]

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