The Evolution and Importance of the Patient Experience

The patient experience has evolved rapidly over the last decade. What mattered 10 years ago is no longer the most important thing to the modern patient. Where individuals used to prioritize effective care, they now prioritize a positive experience from start to finish. Patients are paying attention to what their providers are doing to them and for them in all aspects of their care. For providers who do not tune into the needs of modern patients, they risk losing patients to those who do. Keep reading to learn more about the patient experience and what your practice does to improve it.

What is the Patient Experience?

The patient experience encompasses any interaction an individual has with the healthcare system. This means that one’s experience has less to do with their result, and more to do with their journey to their result. Patients want to feel prioritized by their providers through every step of the process. In a world where people are used to instant gratification and consumer-facing service, they now expect this from their medical providers.

What Was its Role in the Past?

The role of the patient experience in the past was relatively non-existent. Patients trusted that their providers were always doing things the right way and hardly asked questions along the way. Over time, we have learned that the more involved a patient is in their care, the more likely they are to achieve a positive result. This is called patient engagement. With an increase in engagement, patients start to ask more questions and care about more details regarding their health and experience. Where patients once only cared about their results, they now want more.

How Can Providers Improve the Experience in 2021?

Consumer Mentality

Providers need to start considering their patients as consumers. While they need medical attention, the patient experience encompasses a more consumer-focused mentality. This means treating your patients as customers. They are coming to your practice, paying for a service, and they want that service to be delivered as well as possible.

Accessibility

Accessibility to information and communication is always a great place to start when improving the patient experience. Make it easy for individuals to access their Personal Health Information (PHI). This will help them better understand their health and feel confident in their treatment plan. Should they have questions, they should also easily be able to contact their provider to get them answered. Making your team accessible helps patients feel seen and heard in their patient experience.

Healthcare Technology

The right technology can make all of the difference to the patient experience. Quality technology makes it easier for a patient to stay engaged, schedule appointments, understand their health, communicate with their doctors, and much more. Your practice needs a Quality EHR, Practice Management Solution, Billing Solution, Queue Management Solution, and much more.

Billing Transparency

Lastly, your practice needs to make the billing experience less painful for patients. In the past, patients knew little to nothing regarding the cost of their care. Now, providers need to utilize tools that promote price transparency and accessible billing. The more prepared they feel to pay their bill, the more likely they are to pay it.

To learn more about tools that can improve the patient experience at your practice, click here.