All businesses need to ensure that their customers are satisfied with their experience. But it’s especially important for healthcare businesses. After all, those customers are typically patients who have a strong emotional investment in the outcome of their trip to the healthcare facility. As such, healthcare operations that want to build a loyal customer base have to ensure their customers have a smooth experience from beginning to end.
In this post, we’re going to run through some handy strategies that healthcare businesses can adopt to ensure that their customers/patients have a good experience — and also no reason to look at your competitors.
Improve Digital Tools
There’s been a host of healthcare-related digital tools released in the last few years, especially during and after the coronavirus pandemic. You can ensure your customers have a great experience by utilizing digital tools to provide a seamless visit. This could take the form of telemedicine appointments, whereby your customers can receive updates, straightforward consultations, and prescriptions online, without having to leave their homes. It’s also recommended to invest in an online patient portal where your customers can view their medical history, request appointments, and other information that increases patient engagement.
Understand What They Value
You’ll be in a better position to offer the best experience possible if you know what your patients value. As with all businesses, having an understanding of the customers — in this case, patients — is key to delivering an exceptional experience that gets to the heart of what they want. There are multiple ways to understand your patients better, including conducting a conjoint analysis, soliciting feedback, or just more broadly analyzing the demographics of the area that you serve and understanding what issues and factors tend to affect those people. Ultimately, the more you know your patients, the more you can offer them.
It’s also recommended to conduct patient satisfaction surveys. They can be vital in ensuring that your healthcare facility is meeting the expectations of your patients. They should reveal what you’re doing well, what they’d like to see, and any common complaints which you can then address.
It can be hard to see any silver lining to the COVID-19 pandemic. But as impacted organizations re-focused on their basics in order to survive – if not thrive – through the hard times, many did see examples of improved business processes, greater efficiencies and new opportunities.
That was certainly the case for our organization,Goshen Health, an award-winning hospital and network of clinics in Northern Indiana. As with most hospitals and healthcare organizations, our staff and our recruiting efforts took a hard hit during the pandemic. It forced us to rethink how we recruit and train key frontline workers, such as medical assistants. Faced with an existing industry staffing shortage, a number of our workers leaving the field because of the pandemic, and fewer potential hires entering the field, the key was to offer training and practical experience to potential candidates, and to promote from within.
Finding candidates with an exceptional bedside manner
Goshen Health has approximately 2,000 Colleagues between the hospital and 30 healthcare clinics. As with many healthcare facilities, one of our toughest hiring challenges is finding enough skilled medical assistants (MAs).
The role of the MA is critically important. They are often the first person a patient sees, and they have a significant amount of direct contact with patients throughout their journey with us. As a result, the bedside manner of a MA is as important as their healthcare expertise. Every day they interact with patients who might be sick, unsure, or are worried about their health or the health of a loved one. Add to that, the work that MAs do in taking vitals and charting for the healthcare provider, and it is quickly evident how vital they are.
Coursework to become an MA can vary, but typically requires between six months to two years of classroom training. Candidates must complete 120 clinical hours of instruction and pass a rigorous certification program to qualify.
Prior to the pandemic, a significant pipeline for these workers – including administrative, clerical and support staff – was filled through partnerships with local community colleges. We also worked with local schools to generate interest among high school students. The hope was that they could matriculate to the community colleges, take one or two years of courses and be candidates for jobs with Goshen Health upon graduation. COVID stalled this pathway for 18 months, forcing us to look into supplementing our traditional hiring practices with new models and new sources.
Adopting a new train-and-hire recruiting model
Goshen Health has since adopted a new model of recruiting both internal and external candidates and paying for their training, in exchange for a two-year work commitment at our facilities. We combine an online training program from an outside vendor with hands-on clinical experience through Goshen’s physician offices.
The applied experience comes through an externship in clinical settings. Candidates participate in 120 hours of training with a senior certified MA or LPN Colleague, and then rotate to several medical practices.
The importance of this rotational strategy cannot be overstated. Trainees gain first-hand experience in Goshen facilities, not in a classroom or an outside healthcare facility. By the time students finish their 120-hour externship, they should have worked in several different Goshen clinics. Upon hire, they would have thorough knowledge of Goshen’s systems, its culture, and its people. They would hopefully hit the ground running on day one.
We learned several other lessons that have impacted our recruiting practices. They include:
By Will O’Connor, M.D., chief medical information officer, TigerConnect
When the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that COVID-19 was no longer a global pandemic, everyone breathed a maskless sigh of relief and tried to put the devastation of a three-year-long crisis behind them. But now, the healthcare industry faces another pandemic – a nurse staffing crisis years in the making.
A recent report by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing found that nearly 100,000 registered nurses had left the profession since the onset of the pandemic in 2020, when exposure was high and support was low. What’s more startling is that another 600,000 nurses intend to leave by 2027 due to stress, cognitive burnout, and retirement. This labor shortage adds to the factors pushing nurses to leave as their workloads inevitably increase while available resources remain scarce. But what’s at the root of this mass exodus?
Navigating The Great Attrition
As of March 2023, 45% of inpatient nurses reported they are likely to leave their role in the next six months because they feel undervalued by their organization and have an unmanageable workload, contributing to burnout, stress, and cognitive burden. As nurses navigate the complexities of providing care to multiple patients, they face the challenge of using ineffective communication methods such as phone and email and balancing various interruptions and disruptions, all of which obstruct patient care. In fact, miscommunication is the root of over 70% of sentinel events, resulting in $1.7 billion in malpractice suits over five years.
In a recent joint survey conducted by Becker’s Healthcare and TigerConnect of more than one-hundred clinical leaders across various healthcare ecosystems, respondents provided valuable insights into the perceived risks to patients and care providers stemming from communication and workflow processes that put care on the line. These risks include:
68% of respondents cited an increase in staff frustration with slow response times or lack of response
64% of respondents noted that numerous alerts and system notifications lead to cognitive overload, also known as alarm fatigue
Over half, or 56%, stated that suboptimal communications create the risks of delays in patient care
Enhancing Clinical Collaboration
Given these insights, it is evident that to develop a successful staffing strategy, healthcare leaders need to understand how nurses spend their time, their desired allocation of time, and how communication methods affect job satisfaction. By identifying the detrimental effects of inadequate workflows and broken communication methods, healthcare organizations can seek ways to alleviate the burdens on nurses and allow them to thrive and deliver exceptional patient care.
It is challenging to ignore mobile smartphones’ influence on our day-to-day lives. Sometimes it’s the first thing you see in the morning and the last at night. The global usage of social media has surged to 4.48 billion users from 2.07 billion in 2015, with each user engaging with an average of 6.6 platforms. While the annual growth rate has declined from 12.5% to 9.2% between 2019 and 2020, the pervasive impact of social media remains substantial.
Regardless of the uncertainty, adopting a mobile-first approach is necessary, as it is a crucial part of the customer experience. It serves as a means for health or other sectors to effectively interact with potential customers. The mobile-first approach in the healthcare sector can help to design and optimize healthcare services, information, and technologies primarily for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. This strategy recognizes the increasing reliance on mobile devices and aims to provide consumers with convenient access to healthcare resources, often on the go.
Importance of a Mobile-First Approach in Healthcare Ecommerce
Using a mobile-first approach has several benefits and addresses specific considerations in the healthcare industry. However, here are some mobile-first approaches critical to healthcare e-commerce:
Mobile UX Optimization for Healthcare Websites
The importance of UX design in the healthcare sector cannot be overemphasized. In recent years, the healthcare industry has experienced a notable transition to digital platforms. Patients now turn to websites for medical insights, appointment scheduling, telehealth services, and interaction with healthcare experts. A well-optimized healthcare website can achieve this primary objective.
We often think of healthcare as the direct communication between provider and patient in an appointment or clinical setting. However, most of what influences health outcomes sits outside of the doctor’s office: This includes individual health behaviors as well as social determinants of health such as social support systems, access to health education and timely care, physical environment, and financial resources.
As we think about building patient engagement, especially related to preventive care and long-term management of chronic conditions, it’s important to think beyond just the quality of clinical care being delivered. Generally speaking, “engaged” patients are those who feel empowered and actively involved in managing their own health. The specifics of what this looks like may differ by population or condition area, but patient engagement is driven by a few key themes:
– Patient activation: Do patients feel motivated to make choices that will positively impact their long-term health?
– Patient education: Do patients have the information they need to understand how their choices and behaviors impact health outcomes?
– Care navigation: Do patients understand how to navigate the complex healthcare system in order to find and access the care they need?
– Patient support: Do patients have social support systems to help them adopt and maintain positive health behaviors?
In an increasingly technology-driven world, engagement can be improved through strategic and human-centered design of experiences and platforms that help patients manage their health. The following sections outline user experience best practices that can be leveraged to improve patient engagement and influence care quality as a whole.
Patient Activation
Much of the literature around patient motivation and behavior change is built upon theories of behavioral psychology. In her book Engaged: Designing for Behavior Change, Dr. Amy Bucher highlights the different types of motivation that can influence human behavior. These range from controlled (extrinsically imposed “you should…”) to autonomous (intrinsically driven by personal motivations). Understanding patient motivation is key to human-centered experience design.
Health Level Seven(HL7) International, the global authority on interoperability of health information technology with members in 55 countries, announced the 2023 class of John Quinn HL7 Fellows and the 2023 recipients of the W. Edward Hammond, Ph.D. Volunteer of the Year Awards during its annual business meeting at the 37th Annual Plenary and Working Group Meeting in Phoenix.
2023 HL7 Fellows
The John Quinn HL7 Fellowship Award was presented to seven individuals during HL7’s 37th Annual Plenary and Working Group Meeting. The award was established to recognize HL7 members with at least 15 years of active membership as well as outstanding service, commitment and contributions to HL7. The award is named in memory of HL7 founding member John Quinn, who served as the organization’s second board chair, the long-time chair of the Technical Steering Committee and the first chief technology officer. The 2023 recipients of the John Quinn HL7 Fellowship Award include:
Adam Chee, chair, HL7 Singapore
Carmela Couderc, branch chief, Office of Technology, Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC)
Suzanne Gonzales-Webb
Charles Jaffe, M.D., Ph.D., chief executive officer, HL7 International
Joginder Madra, information technology and management consultant, JOJ Group, Inc.
Mitra Rocca, associate director, Medical Informatics, Food and Drug Administration
Dan Vreeman, D.P.T., chief standards development officer
HL7 Volunteers of the Year
HL7 honored three members with the 26th annual W. Edward Hammond, Ph.D. Volunteer of the Year Award. Established in 1997, the award is named after Dr. Ed Hammond, one of HL7’s most active volunteers and a founding member as well as past board chair. The award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to HL7’s success. The 2023 recipients include:
Robert Hausam, M.D., FHL7, consultant and owner, Hausam Consulting LLC
Mark Janczewski, M.D., M.P.H., FAAFP, FAMIA, president and chief executive officer, Medical Networks, LLC
Robert McClure, M.D., FHL7, president, MD Partners, Inc.
Lisa Nelson, senior vice president, Enterprise Integrations, ADVault, Inc.
About the Volunteers:
Robert Hausam, M.D., FHL7, has been an active member of HL7 for 22 years and has served as the co-chair of both the Terminology Infrastructure and Orders and Observations Work Groups. He is a primary leader of the International Patient Summary (IPS) project and is a principal editor for the IPS HL7 Fast Health Interoperability Resources (FHIR®) and Clinical Document Architecture (CDA®) implementation guides (IGs).
Over the years, Dr. Hausam has worked extensively with the HL7 Version 2 and CDA standards and is now active in the FHIR community where he serves as a co-editor for the HL7 FHIR specification and several FHIR IGs. He also assists in the maintenance of the terminology services for the HL7 FHIR specification and IG build environment. Dr. Hausam has volunteered as the IPS and Terminology Services Track Lead at numerous FHIR connectathons, and regularly offers his terminological and clinical expertise as a physician to the FHIR community on the Zulip chat site. In addition, he serves as HL7’s representative on the SNOMED on FHIR Group and as one of the HL7 representatives to ISO TC215.
Mark Janczewski, M.D., M.P.H., FAAFP, FAMIA, joined HL7 in 2009 and has served as a co-chair for the Electronic Health Records (EHR) work group since 2013. He has been a long-standing and consistent champion for health IT and standards development to improve interoperability of health IT systems from a variety of aspects, particularly from the view of the clinician.
Dr. Janczewski’s interests are in the areas of health IT system adoption and implementation, functional requirements development, workflow and decision modeling, HL7 FHIR implementation, metrics and analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI). He is one of the co-authors of the EHR-S Functional Model Release 2, the Personal Health Record System (PHR-S) FM R.2, Data Elements for Emergency Department Systems (DEEDS), and has participated in the development of and/or co-authored several functional profile standards. In addition, Dr. Janczewski is currently facilitating the AI Focus Team’s Project 11 on AI Data Lifecycle, the first-ever AI-based standards development effort in HL7.
Robert McClure, M.D., FHL7, has been active in HL7 for over two decades. He has played an integral role in establishing and participating in the Terminology Services Management Group, serving as liaison to the TSC and enabling many projects in 2022-2023. McClure regularly contributes improvements to the HL7 FHIR publication of HL7 Terminology (THO) and the Unified Terminology Governance (UTG) process for terminology maintenance, ensuring that the policies and tooling surrounding its maintenance supports implementer needs and timelines. As a long-time Terminology Infrastructure Work Group co-chair, he has significantly contributed to HL7 specifications and terminology guidance including “Characteristics of a Value Set Definition” and the gender harmony specifications. In addition, McClure is also the terminology representative on the HL7 US Realm Steering Committee and serves as terminology facilitator for the Structured Documents, Clinical Quality Information, and Clinical Decision Support Work Groups
McClure’s current efforts include leadership of the Gender Harmony Cross-Paradigm Implementation Guide, along with the individual product family IG updates to reflect the gender harmony model. This work will directly make it possible for health care organizations to provide more efficient and accurate gender-affirming care.
Lisa Nelson has been a member of HL7 for 12 years and is an active member of the Structured Documents and Patient Care Work Groups. She has served as a co-chair of the CDA Management Group for the past six years where she has acted as a product manager, documenting the portfolio of the products and creating a process to maintain the information. In addition, Nelson is the author of multiple HL7 CDA implementation guides.
Nelson is passionate about improving patient experience, engaging patients and empowering patients and caregivers. She has focused on advance care planning (ACP) documents, serving as a lead editor on both the CDA and HL7 implementation guides for personal ACP document healthcare data content standards.
Finally, she has also provided valuable testing of the EHR FHIR servers and contributions to FHIR representing the small app vendor perspective.
By Chris Martini, chief provider officer, PatientPoint.
In today’s U.S. healthcare system, patients often find themselves in a perplexing situation where the quality of clinical care can be excellent, but the overall patient experience may fall short.
As the system increases its focus on value-based care and improved health outcomes, the patient experience and value-based care must be considered as interconnected entities. In fact, three value-based care quality metrics—patient satisfaction, preventive care screenings, and care coordination—are directly impacted by the overall patient experience.
The good news is that there are a number of digital tools that can play a pivotal role in fostering better awareness, comprehension, communication, and overall better care experiences. These enhancements ultimately translate into tangible benefits to support value-based care.
Empowering Patients Through Information
According to the 2023 PatientPoint Patient Confidence Index nearly half (48%) of Americans report feeling anxious before healthcare visits (an increase from 39% last year). This anxiety can be attributed to factors such as insufficient information and education, limited knowledge about healthcare providers, and hesitation to discuss health concerns with providers. Additionally, a third of Americans admit to regularly leaving appointments confused. Taken together, these anxieties hinder effective care.
When thinking about factors that could enhance their confidence in discussing their health, more than half (55%) of Americans highlighted the importance of receiving health education during appointments. Another 43% expressed interest in pre-visit education to increase confidence. Given that most patients spend approximately 14 minutes in the waiting room and an additional 12-13 minutes in the exam room without an HCP present, substantial opportunity exists to educate and empower patients while they wait.
Providers can maximize patients’ time in their offices and support value-based care by leveraging digital signage to disseminate relevant health information. Showcasing digital content in the waiting room prepares patients for important healthcare decision-making moments before they enter the exam room and has been proven to drive patient utilization of vital health services including mammography, colon cancer screening, flu vaccination, tobacco cessation counseling, and STI screening. The more personal nature of the exam room environment enables digital signage to deliver tailored information to patients, further motivating them to engage with their providers and take proactive steps for their health such as utilizing patient portals, scheduling preventive screenings and vaccinations, or discussing new treatment options.
To bridge language barriers and make healthcare more inclusive and transparent for patients who speak Spanish, the American Medical Association (AMA) now offers Spanish language descriptors for more than 11,000 medical procedures and services.
The consumer-friendly descriptors in Spanish were added to the newly released Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) 2024 code set, the nation’s leading data-sharing terminology for medical procedures and services.
The consumer-friendly descriptors are an important resource that many hospitals, health plans, medical offices and other CPT users already incorporate into English-language medical documents, insurance forms, price sheets, and patient portals. Including CPT consumer-friendly descriptors in Spanish that are clear and straightforward will help CPT users better engage and assist many in the Latinx community.
“Navigating medical care and paperwork can be especially challenging for Latinx patients who do not speak English or speak English as a second language,” said AMA senior vice president of health solutions Lori Prestesater. “Providing approximately 41 million Spanish speaking individuals in the United States with an easy-to-understand description of medical procedures and services can help build a more inclusive health care environment, where language is no longer a barrier and patients can actively engage in their own care.”
Other changes to the CPT code set
The annual update to the CPT code set created 349 editorial changes, including 230 additions, 49 deletions and 70 revisions. With 11,163 codes that describe the medical procedures and services available to patients, the CPT code set continues to grow and evolve with the rapid pace of innovation in medical science and health technology.
Changes to the CPT code set are considered through an open editorial process managed by the CPT Editorial Panel, an independent body convened by the AMA that collects broad input from the health care community and beyond to ensure CPT content reflects the coding and data-driven demands of a modern health care system. This rigorous editorial process keeps the CPT code set current with contemporary medical science and technology so it can fulfill its vital role as the trusted language of medicine today and the code to its future.
By Kyle Bachman, senior recruiter, Goshen Health.
Health Level Seven (HL7) International, the global authority on interoperability of health information technology with members in 55 countries, announced the 2023 class of John Quinn HL7 Fellows and the 2023 recipients of the W. Edward Hammond, Ph.D. Volunteer of the Year Awards during its annual business meeting at the 37th Annual Plenary and Working Group Meeting in Phoenix.
To bridge language barriers and make healthcare more inclusive and transparent for patients who speak Spanish, the American Medical Association (AMA) now offers Spanish language descriptors for more than 11,000 medical procedures and services.