When you leave a medical appointment, you likely have some feelings about how the appointment went. You may think about how helpful your provider was, how you were greeted at the reception desk, or how clear your treatment instructions were. Whether you know it or not, each thought reflects the patient experience that you had.
Today, we’ll discuss what the patient experience is, how it influences health outcomes, and how we at Community Access Network seek to give you the most positive patient experience possible.
What is the Patient Experience?
A positive patient experience involves more than just a successful medical outcome or a good interaction with your doctor. Forming a good view of a medical encounter begins the moment a patient steps foot in the door and continues to be shaped all the way through post-visit instructions. Patients also form opinions on the care they received based on the treatment plans, appointment environment, billing processes, and more.
Many different factors play a role in how the patient perceives the quality of their healthcare experience. These factors include:
- Communication: Healthcare providers should provide clear, easy-to-understand instructions about a patient’s treatment plan. They should also take the time to properly address any questions that come up.
- Accessibility: Access to specialized providers and further medical care should be available for patients when needed.
- Respect and empathy: Providers should treat every single patient with respect and empathy regardless of a patient’s age, race, gender, religion, or sexuality. Patients should feel like they were a part of the treatment process and that their questions and concerns were heard and addressed.
- Quality: Healthcare providers should seek to provide the highest quality healthcare possible to every single patient. Organizations should have up-to-date equipment, ongoing training for providers, and appropriate resources and treatment plans.
- Environment: The physical environment that patients experience during a healthcare visit directly impacts their patient experience. Healthcare buildings and treatment rooms should be clean and tidy, yet inviting for patients.
- Education: Healthcare providers should give patients enough information on their diagnosis or condition to feel well-educated after their visit.
- Value: Patients should feel like the treatment that they received was of value to them, in terms of both finances and time.
Why the Patient Experience Matters
Patient-centered care is essential in giving patients the best healthcare experience. A positive patient experience provides many benefits both for a healthcare organization and a patient. These benefits include:
- Higher patient retention: Patients who have a positive experience are likely to return to the same facility again if they need medical treatment.
- Lower return rates: Patients who feel well-educated about their treatment plan are more likely to adhere to their plan, which lowers patient return rates.
- Better health outcomes: Patients who have a good patient experience also experience better health outcomes, which the next section of this blog will discuss.
Patient Experience and Health Outcomes
Health outcomes help providers and organizations measure the impact of a healthcare service, treatment, or intervention. They offer a multidimensional way to track how successful healthcare services are. For example, a lowered blood pressure or improved mental wellbeing after a visit are both positive health outcomes.
Health outcomes can be clinically observed through physical examination, laboratory testing, or imaging. They can also be personally observed after receiving healthcare treatment. At Community Access Network, we measure patient-reported outcomes and population health outcomes from the Virginia Department of Health.
The patient experience is one factor in a positive health outcome. When patients feel like they can trust their doctors, they’re more likely to follow post-visit instructions and experience lowered stress after their visit.
Patient Experience Week 2024: April 29-May 3
Patient Experience (PX) Week is an annual event that celebrates healthcare organizations and the positive patient experience that they provide. This year, PX Week falls on April 29-May 3. Patient Experience Week gives healthcare organizations a focused time to evaluate their overall performance, find new ways to improve, and to re-energize providers.
At Community Access Network, we work to improve our patient experience constantly, not just during Patient Experience Week.
Interested in becoming a Community Access Network patient?
Regardless of your age, income, or insurance status, Community Access Network is here to serve our neighbors in Lynchburg, VA. Our team of qualified providers will work with you to develop a comprehensive, compassionate care plan for anything you may need. We want our patients to have a good experience from the moment they step in the door.