Walk in your Patients’ Shoes to Improve their Experience

ReThink: A RevSpring blog series on the value of new perspectives

Taking things for granted is part of the human condition. Friends, spouses, customers, even vendors; we’re all susceptible to thinking we understand what matters to the people we interact with on a regular basis. But taking relationships—and what they need to thrive—for granted puts us on a slippery slope toward broken relationships.

Empathy is a simple antidote for this problem and cultivating it is as easy as taking a metaphorical walk in another’s shoes. In the case of your patients, that begins with understanding what they experience when they navigate through your healthcare system.

No matter how your organization is structured internally, patients perceive it as one brand. Confusion and frustration sets in when they experience a collection of disconnected processes: in the office, through the mail, and online or via digital platforms. Take time to improve your understanding of your patients’ experience navigating your entire system: from before they make an appointment, through the care they receive, to the final payment.

Imagining you are a patient working your way through “the system” will allow you to rethink every interaction and how to make them easy, efficient, and—most importantly—connected. Making some relatively simple changes will improve the patient experience by empowering them to feel more in control and engaged with their healthcare.

Rethinking the entire patient experience and working to make it seamless is an investment that pays dividends: increased patient loyalty and a thriving business thanks to new patients that connect with you through their satisfied family members and friends.

Download our new Patient’s Shoes white paper for helpful information about rethinking your patients’ experience for the better.