Maximizing the Patient (Customer) Experience
8 Minute ReadHello, valued readers!
Welcome to the Cinnamon Hill Partners blog. Coming from the business world and supplementing my knowledge as a proud student of the (undoubtedly) finest business school in the world (The University of Chicago Booth School of Business), I learned how to build and operate a company to maximize both customer satisfaction and company profits. However, healthcare is ultimately a different business model. Rather than maximizing profits, a healthcare organization's goal should be to maximize the patient experience. Indeed, the quadruple aim of healthcare is to enhance patient experience, improve population health, and reduce costs while improving the work life of healthcare providers. In this blog post, I propose that adopting a traditional 'business' mindset and viewing patients as customers can work hand in hand with the quadruple aim of healthcare. In fact, I believe healthcare organizations that fail to view their patients as customers may fall short of the quadruple aim of healthcare and leave patients feeling unsatisfied.
Introduction
In today's healthcare landscape, the concept of treating patients like customers has gained significant traction. As healthcare providers strive to enhance patient experience and satisfaction, they increasingly adopt consumer-centric models emphasizing convenience, personalization, and service quality. This shift is driven by the recognition that patients, like customers in other industries, have evolving expectations and desires for their healthcare experiences. However, it's essential to be aware of the challenges and potential pitfalls that come with this approach.
Why We Should Think of Patients as Customers
In the evolving healthcare landscape, the terminology used to refer to individuals seeking medical services has shifted from 'patients' to 'customers.' [1] This change reflects a broader transformation in how healthcare providers approach care, emphasizing a more service-oriented, consumer-centric model. [2] Here are several compelling reasons why we should think of patients as customers, each presenting an opportunity for healthcare providers to enhance their services and improve patient outcomes: [3],[4]
Patient-Centered Care
Treating patients as customers shifts the focus towards meeting their needs and preferences, promoting a collaborative and respectful relationship between healthcare providers and patients. This approach acknowledges the patient's autonomy in decision-making and fosters a more engaged and active participation in their healthcare journey. Recognizing and addressing these fundamental needs is essential and at the heart of building a positive doctor-patient or provider-customer relationship.
Feedback and Quality Improvement
Viewing patients as customers encourages healthcare providers to pay closer attention to the quality of services they deliver. Patient feedback becomes a valuable resource for identifying areas of improvement within the healthcare system, leading to better outcomes. Indeed, an important value-creation lever for healthcare providers is focusing more on customer surveys and feedback to improve the patient experience. Effective communication, both verbal and non-verbal, plays a crucial role in enhancing the overall healthcare experience and addressing potential communication failures that often underlie poor health outcomes.
Applying customer service principles can also streamline administrative processes, reduce wait times, and enhance overall efficiency in healthcare delivery. By managing schedules effectively, delegating tasks to trained staff, and implementing strategies to minimize wait times, healthcare providers can significantly improve the patient experience.
Competitive Advantage and Patient Satisfaction
In the modern healthcare landscape, competition among providers exists, and viewing patients as customers fosters an environment where providers strive to offer better services to attract and retain patients. This competitive drive can lead to innovations in care delivery and improvements in service quality.
Further, customer satisfaction is a critical metric in many industries, including healthcare. Satisfied patients are more likely to comply with treatment plans, follow up on appointments, and maintain a positive perception of their healthcare providers. This satisfaction stems from feeling respected, having their time valued, and being kept informed and involved in their care decisions. Viewing patients as customers empowers them to participate more actively in their healthcare journey. Informed patients are better equipped to make decisions about their health, leading to improved compliance with treatment plans and a sense of ownership over their well-being.
Adapting to the Changing Healthcare Landscape
The healthcare industry is evolving with an increased emphasis on consumerism. Providers who adapt to this shift and prioritize the patient experience will likely thrive in this changing landscape. While the analogy of patients as customers has limitations due to the unique ethical considerations and complexities of healthcare, the underlying principle is prioritizing patient needs, preferences, and satisfaction to improve overall healthcare outcomes.
By adopting a consumer-centric approach, healthcare providers can enhance patient experiences, improve satisfaction, and foster long-term relationships, ultimately leading to better healthcare outcomes and a more resilient healthcare system.
How to Maximize Patient Experience and Increase Customer Satisfaction
Maximizing patient experience and increasing customer satisfaction are essential goals for healthcare providers aiming to enhance the quality of care and foster long-term patient loyalty. Understanding the nuances between patient experience and patient satisfaction is crucial for providing quality care and building a successful medical practice.
To start, let’s review the subtle difference between patient experience and customer satisfaction:
Patient experience encompasses all interactions within the healthcare system. It includes effective communication, safety measures, and procedures performed by healthcare providers. An organization's culture significantly influences patient experience, shaping perceptions of the quality of care received. Assessing patient experience involves gathering direct feedback from patients to understand if the expected standards of care were met. It emphasizes making the healthcare process as convenient and seamless as possible for patients. [5]
Customer satisfaction focuses on how well patients feel they are treated during their healthcare journey. It is a subjective evaluation of the entire experience, gauging the emotional and personal response to care interactions. Customer satisfaction encompasses the patient's perception of the care they receive, the healthcare team's attentiveness, and the healthcare environment's overall atmosphere. Satisfied customers are more likely to adhere to treatment plans, communicate openly, and maintain a positive outlook toward healthcare. [5]
Now that we have definitions, we can explore a few strategies for maximizing patient experience and increasing customer satisfaction. [6],[7],[8],[9]
Recognize Patients as Consumers and Foster a Consumer-Centric Culture
Understanding that patients are also consumers means acknowledging their need for convenience, low cost, friendly service, and high-quality medical care. This dual recognition ensures that healthcare providers focus on the technical and consumer aspects of care, enhancing health outcomes and patient satisfaction.
Building a consumer-centric culture within healthcare organizations involves recognizing the broad range of patient interactions across the healthcare ecosystem. Every customer touchpoint should be optimized for a seamless patient experience, from in-hospital care to remote monitoring and home-based services. Training staff to prioritize patient needs and adopting a mindset that values patient feedback are critical steps in this transformation.
Improve Communication While Ensuring Personalization and Empathy
Effective communication is the cornerstone of a positive patient experience. Providers should ensure clear, consistent, and empathetic communication throughout the patient's healthcare journey. This includes simplifying medical information, providing timely updates on test results, and ensuring patients understand their care plans. Enhanced communication builds trust and empowers patients to actively participate in their health management.
Personalizing healthcare services to meet individual patient needs and showing empathy in patient interactions are vital for building strong relationships and growing satisfaction. Providers should tailor their communication, care plans, and follow-up strategies to each patient's unique circumstances, ensuring they feel valued and understood throughout their healthcare journey.
Streamline Processes and Reduce Wait Times
Administrative efficiency is crucial for improving patient satisfaction. Essential strategies include reducing wait times, simplifying appointment scheduling, and providing timely follow-ups. Healthcare organizations should implement policies and procedures to address these areas, ensuring a smoother and more efficient patient experience. Offering alternatives like virtual consultations can also minimize delays and enhance convenience.
Embrace Digital Transformation and Leverage Advanced Technologies
Integrating digital technologies into healthcare services is crucial to improving the patient experience. Offering mobile-based services for locating doctors, renewing prescriptions, supporting telehealth visits, accessing test results, scheduling appointments, and managing payments creates a "digital front door" that makes healthcare more accessible and convenient at every touchpoint.
Advancements in technology, such as artificial intelligence (AI), wearable devices, and telehealth, offer new opportunities to improve patient care. AI can personalize patient interactions, suggest appointment times, and automate administrative tasks, making the healthcare process more intelligent and user-friendly. Wearable devices can monitor chronic conditions and provide real-time health data, enhancing patient engagement and proactive health management.
Implement Post-Visit Follow-Up
Engaging in post-visit follow-ups demonstrates a commitment to ongoing care. Following up on patients' progress, addressing concerns, and ensuring they have the support they need reinforce a positive patient-provider relationship. This practice not only improves satisfaction but also contributes to better health outcomes by ensuring continuity of care.
By implementing these principles and strategies, healthcare providers can create a more patient-centered experience, improve satisfaction, and build long-term loyalty. As the healthcare industry continues to evolve, embracing these consumer-oriented practices will be essential for delivering high-quality care and staying competitive in the market.
Potential Pitfalls of Treating Patients Like Customers
While treating patients as customers can enhance the patient experience and satisfaction, it also presents several potential pitfalls that healthcare providers must carefully navigate. [10],[11]
Misalignment of Goals
The goals of a primary profit-driven customer service model can conflict with healthcare providers' ethical and professional responsibilities. Physicians have a duty to provide the best possible care based on medical knowledge and patient needs, not just to keep the customer happy. This misalignment can lead to inappropriate medical decisions, such as unnecessary tests or treatments, driven by the desire to satisfy patient demands rather than adhering to best medical practices.
Exacerbation of Healthcare Inequities
The customer model can exacerbate existing inequities in healthcare access and outcomes. Patients with fewer financial resources may be sidelined in a system prioritizing profit and customer satisfaction. This approach can widen the gap in healthcare quality and accessibility, disadvantaging the most vulnerable populations.
Overburdening Patients With Inadequate Decision-Making Support
Patients' expectations of being proactive and highly informed consumers can be unrealistic. Patients often lack the necessary tools, knowledge, and support to make informed decisions. This is particularly true in complex medical situations where specialized expertise is required. For example, patients calling 911 for minor issues instead of using clinic resources highlights the gap in effective patient education and support.
Empowering patients with more information and decision-making autonomy can be overwhelming, especially during medical crises. Patients are often unprepared to make complex healthcare decisions, leading to increased stress and potential errors. For instance, a patient managing her own medical records during a health crisis can find it burdensome and confusing, illustrating the challenges of placing too much responsibility on patients.
In summary, while treating patients like customers can drive significant improvements in patient experience and satisfaction, it poses risks. Healthcare providers must balance these approaches, ensuring that patient empowerment does not come at the expense of quality care and ethical responsibility.
A Closing Message for Healthcare Owners and Operators
Treating patients like customers presents a double-edged sword in the realm of healthcare. On one hand, it can drive significant improvements in patient experience and satisfaction, fostering stronger relationships and better health outcomes. On the other hand, it risks overburdening patients with decision-making responsibilities and exacerbating healthcare inequities. By understanding and addressing these potential pitfalls, healthcare providers can strike a balance that empowers patients without compromising the quality of care. Ultimately, the goal is to create a healthcare system that is both patient-centered and clinically sound, ensuring that patients receive compassionate, effective, and efficient care.
Thank you for joining me on this exploration of maximizing patient (customer) experiences. I look forward to sharing more insights and strategies to help you succeed in your healthcare business journey.
Cinnamon Hill Partners is an entrepreneur-led investment firm dedicated to ensuring your business continues to thrive under committed leadership.
If you found this content interesting and would like to get in touch, please click one of the buttons below!
References
[1] Staff Writers. (2023). Patient or customer? Navigating the language of healthcare. Rx for the Business of Medicine. Retrieved from https://www.rxtbom.com/
[2] Staff Writers. (2023). Viewing patients as customers. Rx for the Business of Medicine. Retrieved from https://www.rxtbom.com/
[3] Gingiss, D. (2019). Why treating patients as consumers can improve the healthcare experience. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/dangingiss/2019/07/09/why-treating-patients-as-consumers-can-improve-the-healthcare-experience/#132833e463a1
[4] Birch, E. (2020). What if we treated patients more like customers? HealthManagement.org, 20(6), 455-456. Retrieved from https://healthmanagement.org/c/healthmanagement/issuearticle/what-if-we-treated-patients-more-like-customers
[5] Navigating the Healthcare Landscape: Understanding Patient Experience vs. Satisfaction. (2023). Rx for the Business of Medicine. Retrieved from https://www.rxtbom.com/
[6] Davidson, K. W., Shaffer, J. A., Ye, S., Falzon, L., Emeruwa, I. O., Sundquist, K., Inneh, I. A., Mascitelli, S. L., Manzano, W. M., Vawdrey, D. K., & Ting, H. H. (2017). Interventions to improve hospital patient satisfaction with healthcare providers and systems: A systematic review. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5290224/
[7] Glaser, J. (2021). 5 Principles to Improve the Patient Experience. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2021/11/5-principles-to-improve-the-patient-experience
[8] How to Raise Your Patient Satisfaction Scores. (2024). Relias. Retrieved from https://www.relias.com/blog/how-to-raise-patient-satisfaction-and-experience-scores
[9] 8 Ways to Improve Patient Satisfaction in Healthcare. (2024). Dropstat. Retrieved from https://dropstat.com/blog/healthcare-management/how-to-improve-patient-satisfaction/
[10] Meill, A., & Ericson, G. (2012). The trouble with treating patients as consumers. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2012/01/the-trouble-with-treating-pati
[11] McCrory, K. (2018). The danger in treating patients as customers. Physicians Practice. Retrieved from https://www.physicianspractice.com/view/danger-treating-patients-customers
