Below is a list of stakeholders who play a critical role in impacting the patient experience:

• Revenue cycle/Patient financial services (PFS) leader (usually vice president of RCM, senior director of PFS, etc.)
• Contact center leaders (scheduling and customer services)
• Medical group operational leadership representative (vice president of operations, medical group COO, etc.)
• Medical group clinical leadership representative
• Physician champions
• Marketing leader
• Digital strategy leader
• IT/EHR leader

Once organizations understand the key elements in the patient journey and identify key stakeholders, the next step is to evaluate and improve the patient experience. There are five key components healthcare organizations should consider when designing a patient experience strategy. 

Most organizations have not designed their organizational structures with the patient experience in mind. Instead, most are functionally organized based on internal operations and dynamics. As a result, management can be the most challenging focus area due to organizational siloes and the number of leaders overseeing parts and pieces of the patient experience.

Management involves determining performance metrics, setting expectations, and motivating staff to provide a first-rate experience. But without effective management, establishing a culture that values patient satisfaction and consistently delivers a positive patient experience is nearly impossible.
 
To improve management in the context of a patient experience strategy, healthcare providers should establish clear performance metrics that align with the organization's goals and values. Providers should also train and incentivize staff to provide consistent, exceptional customer service. This might include training on effective communication, empathy, and other soft skills that are critical for delivering a positive patient experience.

Providers need to understand the lifetime value of customer retention. This means looking beyond patient experience surveys, like the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems or Press Ganey, and understanding the true impact a positive patient experience can have on an organization’s bottom line.

Improving customer retention is an effective way to build a loyal patient base and strengthen the financial performance of a healthcare organization. By focusing on patient satisfaction and delivering a positive patient experience, providers can increase the likelihood that patients will continue to use their services, recommend the organization to friends and family, and become a promoter of the organization overall.

To improve customer retention, healthcare organizations should focus on delivering a positive patient experience at every touchpoint. This includes not only the actual medical treatment, but also the administrative and support services that patients receive. Providers should actively gather, listen to, and make enhancements based on patient feedback, and ensure that information is widely distributed across the organization to create a culture where patient experience is a data-driven focus.

Service standards are important in a patient experience strategy because they help ensure that patients are receiving care that meets their expectations. Patients who are not satisfied with the care they receive may change providers in search of a better experience.

While organizations traditionally track production-focused metrics, emphasizing metrics that focus on patient experience from the outside-in lens can help enable organizations to significantly improve the patient experience. When establishing service standards, healthcare providers should consider the needs and expectations of their patients, including factors such as wait times, communication, and the overall patient experience. In a contact center, for example, this means not only looking at things like average speed to answer, but percentage of patients the staff greeted by name when answering the phone.

Providers should also establish clear policies and procedures for handling patient complaints and ensuring that patients receive timely and effective care. Organizations elevate their service standards when they take the time to listen to patients, address the things that patients value, and begin tracking and establishing metrics based on those priorities.

Technology can serve as a valuable tool to support the patient journey. Healthcare organizations should ensure that their technology keeps up with industry standards and patient expectations. However, organizations must avoid falling into the trap of investing in technology as a panacea to the patient experience. Technology is an enabler, but it is not a patient experience strategy in and of itself.

Technology is always advancing — but not every investment has a positive impact. When technology isn't meeting patient expectations or improving the patient journey, organizations should pivot and determine where they should invest to have the biggest impact.

Aesthetics play an important role in the patient experience because they can shape the way patients perceive and interact with their providers. An organization's aesthetic encompasses everything a patient sees and hears, including staff interactions, websites, and print materials.

When providers are evaluating their aesthetics, they should consider the needs and preferences of their patients, as well as industry best practices and trends.

In addition to improving the appearance of physical and digital spaces, providers should consider the quality and consistency of messaging across all touchpoints. For example, creating branded print and web materials that are consistent with the organization's overall aesthetic will make your organization look more professional and therefore more trustworthy.

When assessing your organization’s capabilities in each of these areas, you should ask yourself whether your organization is ready — and able — to provide what your patients want and expect from their experience. 

Providing a positive patient experience is in the best interest of the entire organization. Assigning tangible value to a better patient experience is difficult, which makes many organizations hesitant to invest in this space. But the advantages are clear. When patient expectations are met — or exceeded — there is a positive impact on patient retention and an organization’s bottom line.