What’s the difference? And how do they relate to HCAHPS?
In the world of healthcare, Patient Engagement and Customer Experience are two similar yet different concepts that influence how hospitals and healthcare providers interact with patients and their families. While both are crucial for improving outcomes and satisfaction, they are distinctly different at their core. So, what are the differences between the two? Let’s take a deep dive into each concept.
Patient Engagement
Patient engagement refers to the involvement of patients in their own healthcare. This includes ways in which healthcare providers encourage patients to take an active role in managing their health and treatment options, such as:
- Education & Communication: Helping patients to understand their condition(s), treatment options, and the steps they can take to improve their health.
- Shared Decision-Making: Including patients in decisions about their care, making sure to listen to the patient, and taking into consideration their preferences and values.
- Access to Information: Providing patients with access to educational resources, tips and tools to manage their health, and access to their medical records for full transparency of care.
- Empowerment: Encouraging patients to take charge of their health through adherence of treatment plans, making healthy life choices, and using self-care techniques.
Goal
Improve health outcomes by empowering patients to make informed decisions and actively participate in their healthcare.
Customer Experience
Customer experience refers to the overall experience patients and their families have with the healthcare services. This encompasses every touchpoint and interaction a patient has with a healthcare organization, from the time they enter the building to any follow-up appoints after leaving the facility, including:
- Service Quality: The quality and professionalism of all interactions with staff, including receptionists, volunteers, dietary, and maintenance, as well as doctors and nurses.
- Accessibility: What is the ease in which patients can access services? This includes appointment scheduling, waiting times, and availability of care when they seek care.
- Environment: The physical environment of the facility includes not just inside but outside cleanliness, comfort, safety, and wayfinding through the facility.
- Communication & Information: Communication needs to have clarity and helpfulness of information including topics such as procedures, treatment plans, billing, follow-up care.
Goal
The goal of customer experience is to ensure that patients have a positive, seamless, and supportive experience at every stage of their interaction within the healthcare system.
HCAHPS & Its Relation to Patient Engagement & Customer Experience
HCAHPS & Patient Engagement
While HCAHPS (and other CAHPS surveys) may not be designed to measure patient engagement, several questions (domains) touch on elements that contribute to engagement. For instance:
- Communication with nurses and doctors involved patients in their care by providing clear and understandable information.
- Communication about medicines and discharge information ensures that patients have the knowledge they need to manage their health after leaving the hospital.
HCAHPS & Customer Experience
HCAHPS is primarily focused on capturing patients’ experiences during their hospital stay. The survey covers aspects such as communication, responsiveness, environment, and overall satisfaction. These measures provide insights into the quality of service and care that patients perceive, which are key components of the overall customer experience in healthcare.
Overall, HCAHPS serves as a valuable tool for hospitals to assess and improve the quality of patient experiences, which can also enhance patient engagement by fostering better communication and understanding.
Summary
Patient Engagement focuses on the active involvement of patients in their own care, emphasizing strategies to enhance their participation in health management, treatment decisions, and adherence to medical advice.
Customer Experience pertains to the overall satisfaction and perception of patients regarding the quality of service and care they receive throughout their journey, from initial contact to post-treatment follow-up.
While both concepts are crucial for improving outcomes and satisfaction, Patient Engagement centers on empowering patients in their health journey, whereas Customer Experience encompasses the broader spectrum of service quality and patient perception.
More News
