6 Factors That Contribute to a Positive Patient Experience
The patient experience is a critical factor when determining a hospital's patient satisfaction and overall success.
Not only does patient satisfaction help a hospital grow, but it makes patients happier and even improves employee morale. It plays a massive role in every part of a hospital—from profit to employee culture to star ratings and more.
When patients are happy, it improves a hospital’s rating and makes it more competitive.
The patient experience is more important today than ever before.
But what contributes to a positive patient experience, and how can a hospital improve patient satisfaction?
Here’s everything you need to know.
6 Factors That Contribute to a Positive Patient Experience
Patient satisfaction plays a huge role in a hospital's success and well-being. When healthcare providers provide an excellent patient experience full of kindness and compassionate care, it shows patients that they are more than just a number.
Providing healthcare isn’t enough—hospital staff members must show that they care. Here are other factors that contribute to a positive patient experience.
1. Wait Times
Wait times play a significant role in overall patient satisfaction. Many patients feel that waiting is one of the most stressful parts of being in a hospital.
Studies state that when patients have to wait (whether in a waiting room, for results, or for a call back), it can negatively affect their experience.
Patients get frustrated when they arrive at an appointment on time and have to wait for long periods before seeing the doctor. Many people believe that a lack of punctuality shows a lack of respect toward patients.
It also shows a lack of commitment, poor work ethic, and inefficiency.
2. Personal Engagement
Personal engagement improves the patient experience, hospital readmissions, star ratings, and more. 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.
3. Convenience
Convenience plays a vital role in the overall patient experience.
But what does convenience in a hospital mean, exactly?
Convenience can mean doctor availability, ease of appointment booking, availability of
information, hold times, wait times, location of the hospital, and more.
People have busy lives—they don’t want to wait on hold on the phone to book an appointment or go onto a slow-loading website to review results.
When a hospital provides easy access to its services, it significantly improves the patient experience.
4. Being Understood
A patient wants to feel that their healthcare provider understands them. They want their healthcare provider to understand not only their health problem but also the emotions and feelings surrounding their sickness or ailment.
The better a healthcare provider understands a patient’s story, the better the experience.
When a healthcare provider provides a nonjudgmental understanding, it helps patients feel like they care. You can show that you understand a patient in many ways—by getting to know them, asking questions about their lives, laughing with them, smiling with them, etc.
5. Employee Morale
Employee morale plays a huge role in a patient's experience. Remember—a hospital’s atmosphere shifts when employee morale is up.
Being sick is stressful enough as it is—when patients see that hospital staff members are stressed—or that morale is low—it affects their experience.
6. Kindness
It makes a huge difference to patients when staff members listen to them and treat them with kindness. Much like engaging with them, when staff members have a positive attitude and are kind to patients, it makes them more relatable.
By making patients feel seen and interacting with them—even in the simplest way—staff members can create meaningful interactions that leave a lasting impression on patients who are going through a very stressful time.
This type of care can be as simple as remembering small things about a patient’s life, making direct eye contact, expressing empathy, or showing that you have good intentions.
Show patients that you care.
Patient satisfaction improves employee morale, enhances job satisfaction, creates job security, and makes a hospital more competitive. It can improve a patient’s health and life, attract new patients, improve clinical outcomes, and more.
Remember: when patients are satisfied with their hospital experience, they are more likely to come back and refer others to the hospital.
Treat your patients with kindness care—and reap the rewards.
Everyone’s a Caregiver: Providing Education for Healthcare Workers
Everyone's a Caregiver provides education to healthcare workers to improve their patients' overall experience. We understand the time constraints in today's workplace and have customized microlearning videos to help you gain the necessary skills to be a better, more positive healthcare worker.
We provide live training and speaking at events to help hospitals improve employee engagement and their patients' overall experience.
Contact us today to see how we can help, or click here to learn more.
Please visit our YouTube channel for more information on this topic at https://www.youtube.com/user/Customlearningsue.