Ways to Improve Patient Experience in Hospitals

Change is the only thing that is constant. And with changing times, Healthcare businesses and

hospitals must continuously evaluate to improve patient experience. After all isn’t it often said

that the customer is the king?! Many may argue saying we already provide the best experience,

but as with everything else there is always scope for improvement. The following are few ways

to improve customer satisfaction, service and overall experience.

Make first impressions count: From the moment a patient enters the hospital, the aim should

be to create that first good impression. The registration desk should have multiple counters as

well as trained personnel to manage patients without creating a chaos. The registration should

be kept simple and hassle free with an option of prior online registrations. Services in terms of

visual and verbal acknowledgements will put the patient at ease and make them feel

comfortable. For example, large signs can be placed for directions. This first positive impression

will provide long term effects and create positivity for the patients in the coming visits.

Creating the right culture: Like with any business, creating a strong internal culture plays a

huge role in delivering successful outputs. This is possible by adopting ways that enhance

employee engagement and motivation. When the staff of a hospital have high morale, it

automatically starts reflecting on patient experiences and satisfaction. By providing employees

the right tools like resources and training at the right time will allow them to feel empowered

and deliver better services.

Stay in touch digitally: The online arena must not be neglected when it comes to connecting

with patients. The internet is the first place any consumer goes today before availing any new

service and when it comes to healthcare almost one third of them look to connect online with

their health providers. In the current times, patients expect to access their records online and

have easy ways to book appointments. Having an attractive website with no online support or

customer service puts the organization in poor light. Digital presence must also be maintained

strongly in social forums as well.

Patient’s time is precious too: Patients expect the same level of service from hospitals and

healthcare organization as the ones they receive in other organizations like banks or

restaurants. The key is to provide faster service and better access. Appointments must be kept

in time and any changes must be notified well ahead.

Keeping health management tools simple: Improved systems and tools provide greater results.

The online booking systems must be simple and easy to access on both mobile and web based

platforms. The system must also be continuously monitored and evaluated with improvements

like online management of prescriptions, lab reports etc. Research finds that almost 80% of

patients want to have the registration completed online before making the actual visit.

Small things do matter: Trying to experience the hospital from a patient’s perspective will help

in bringing the small things into focus. Things like free wireless, easy access to ATMs, cafeterias,

wheel chairs or patient volunteers are not given much attention in light of the bigger things. But

often these are the small things that greatly affect the minds of the patients after their hospital

Altogether the entire patient experience can be further improved by benchmarking the

institution with organizations outside the industry and not just within the market.

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