Patient experience refers to a range of exchanges between patients and the health care system, together with the overall care from doctors, nurses, the hospital staff and comprehensive health plans. The concept of patient experience is an integral part of quality health care delivery. This experience is part of a number of health care delivery aspects, which patients’ value, such as the availability of timely and scheduled appointments, proper and conversant conversations between patients and their health care providers and the easy access to information. Therefore, in a health care setting, comprehending patient experience is pivotal in attaining customized patient-centered treatment. Through examining the different aspects of patient experience, one can explore the full degree to which patients are accorded proper care. To reflect patient experience, such care should be responsive to and be reflective of patient needs, values and preferences. Overall, in providing a clear picture of health care quality, the assessment of patient experience together with other fundamental components such as efficiency and care safety are innately essential.
Core to the augmentation of patient experience is the power and influence of quality improvement through patient safety. Presently, the necessities for safety and overall quality proposals have permeated the health care industry. A level of health care delivery that inclines towards quality is one that presents a degree whereby services of health for populations and individuals expand the likelihood of health outcomes that are desirable and are commensurate to the advancement of professional medical knowledge (Hughes, 2017). As such, the extent to which there is a full observation of quality largely determines overall patient safety, which in turn influences patient experience. Principal to experience is the avoidance of fatal medical errors. According to the report by the Institute of Medicine called To Err Is Human, most of the errors that occur medically usually transpire due to faulty machinery. Thus, quality is of the essence when it comes to serene patient experience. However, processes that vary and are inefficient, health insurance, changing cases of patients, differences in experience and education provided usually exacerbate the complexities of health care. Therefore, to properly prioritize and standardize the safety of patients, hospitals need to focus on quality. Moreover, as a strategic priority, health care institutions need to avail pertinent aims in their policies such as the provision of a timely, efficient and equitable service that is patient-centered.
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As an ethical milestone in the health care profession, transparency has emerged as an assimilation to the process of achieving patient safety. Currently, consumers are paying top dollar for their health care and in turn demanding increased levels of transparency. Transparency affects the health care industry in various ways. One, recent statistics indicate that over 85 percent of patients engage with online platforms to provide reviews that aid others in making care decisions. As such, the prerogative of hospitals is to come up with strategies that address customer satisfaction through encouraging transparency. A good example of transparency incorporation in hospitals is one whereby the administration avails star ratings for physicians in their hospital website (Loria, 2016). Using such a strategy enables the hospital administration to keep physicians on toes regarding the kind of service they deliver. Consequently, this leads to proper care and enriched patient satisfaction, particularly when the survey data is worthwhile and implementable. The plight for patient experience increases with the growing numbers of health consumerism, thus, being an inescapable trend, health care institutions need to regard transparency in their public reporting as this drives immense changes to the overall health care delivery structure.
In recent years, America has been the center stage of drastic reforms in the health care industry. While some may still be skeptical of their validity, there are proven facts that these reforms have brought about an unprecedented revamp of the entire health care. A case in point is the Affordable Care Act known by the sobriquet “Obamacare.” Ideological debates have buffeted this act to the point that the darkness of skepticism has clouded its merits, goals, performance, and limitations. However, disbelief aside, as the name suggests, the Affordable Care Act cares for financial integration among physicians and hospitals, which in turn translates to conducive treatment and ultimately patient experiences (Hall & Lord, 2014). On financial integration also, health care reforms have brought about a reduction in the long-term deficit resulting in a solid foundation for the future growth of health care as a whole and the economy of the nation. Through strengthening the financial aspect, these reforms have improved the health of workers, resulting in them being more industrious. Moreover, reforms have extended access resulting in more services event to members of the community. However, in spite of alterations to the health care industry drastically, particular issues need imperative prioritization. Pertinent to this is the comprehension of market share changes and its relation to value-based, patient-centered landscapes. Health care institutions should reinforce their market share by ensuring quality over volume, operational efficiencies and the placement of patients at the core of delivery and care.
Ultimately, as a facet that affects all our lives directly or indirectly, holistic health care is the epitome of worthwhile patient experience. As such, health care institutions need to adopt the best strategies and policies, which avail proper experiences. Overall, quality improvements within the health care industry guarantee progressive and exceptional experiences among patients. Inasmuch as the health care industry possesses dynamic challenges, the implementation of the right policies and a conscious effort ensures success.
References
Hall, M., & Lord, R. (2014). Obamacare: what the Affordable Care Act means for patients and physicians. BMJ , 349 (oct22 7), g5376-g5376. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.g5376
Hughes, R. (2017). Tools and Strategies for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety . Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov . Retrieved 1 September 2017, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2682/
Loria, G. (2016). Transparency in Healthcare Improves Patient Satisfaction. International Journal Of Health Care Quality Assurance , 22 (4), 366-381.
