During a thunderstorm can you really appreciate the grandiosity and absolute supremacy of Mother Nature?

It's an understatement to say that the healthcare environment continues to be challenging for hospitals and health systems. Many healthcare organizations are focused on strengthening the bond with patients, rebuilding their experience and trying to balance that work with restoring financial margins that have taken major hits in the post-pandemic environment.

Portland, Ore.-based Legacy Health said it will plan to divert pregnant women in labor March 17 from its Mount Hood Medical Center to another hospital even as it faces possible sanctions from the Oregon Health Authority.

The quality of the patient care experience extends far beyond the exam room as it encompasses every interaction before and after the patient's exam-room experience.

The number of consumers engaging in revenge-seeking behavior against companies has more than tripled over the past three years, reflecting dual trends of declining customer experiences and the digitization of complaining.

A Los Angeles area hospital operated by Ontario, Calif.-based Prime Healthcare is under investigation after the death of a woman in its care amid allegations of neglect, according to a March 3 report in The Guardian.

Healthcare experiences defined by long wait times, rushed visits with overworked clinicians and high bills are disillusioning U.S. patients, TIME reported Feb. 27. 

A majority of Americans are still uneasy about artificial intelligence being used in their own medical care, a Feb. 22 report from Pew Research Center found. 

Nearly half of provider group executives cite quality of scheduling as the most important factor for patient experience in a recent survey; optimizing patient communication will pay big dividends in 2023.

Hamilton, Ontario-based McMaster University and Nashville, Tenn.-based Vanderbilt University researchers found changing the tune of hospital medical devices can improve patient and clinician experience.

Consumers today expect basic mobile patient engagement tools from the healthcare system.

Press Ganey named five recipients of its 2023 human experience achievement awards Feb. 8. 

Overcrowding in hospital emergency departments leads to low patient satisfaction which, in turn, becomes a financial punch in the gut for clinicians, as compensation incentive plans are tied directly to satisfaction scores.

A recent survey from IT company Accenture found that more patients are switching healthcare providers than in previous years, and it identified four attributes patients look for in a provider.

Roughly half of patients are able to correctly remember post-discharge treatment plans and diagnosis details, even though 90 percent of patients say they feel confident in their knowledge of this upon discharge, a study published by The Joint Commission found.

Behavioral flags in electronic health records are designed to to help prevent violence against clinicians, but the flags might also prevent some patients from receiving full care, according to a recent study.

Press Ganey recognized 95 hospitals, health systems, ASCs, medical groups, and other healthcare providers that rate in the 95th percentile for patient experience.

Adrienne Boissy, MD, a practicing neurologist and Cleveland Clinic's former chief experience officer, has been in healthcare for 20 years, but as is the case with so many professionals in the field, COVID-19 reshaped how she viewed the patient experience and her role as a provider. 

As 2023 begins and we reflect on yet another challenging year for patient experience work, the pandemic's lingering effects continue to reverberate in our organizations. What have we accomplished during the year, and what has been learned about the work needed to restore the experience?

Beaufort (S.C.) Memorial Hospital is partnering with Lakeland, Fla.-based supermarket and pharmacy chain Publix to open a fourth telehealth location.