Consumerism is changing how healthcare organizations design the patient experience.  Patients are demanding a digital-first experience that lets them schedule appointments, make payments and check in for visits when it’s convenient for them. 

The burgeoning use of mobile applications, wearable devices and online services over the past decade has put consumers in the driver’s seat. Nearly 9 in 10 Americans own a smartphone, and they’re comfortable using it not only to communicate, but also to shop, bank, work and even research their health conditions.

Many patients diagnosed with human monkeypox virus are facing a large amount of stigma associated with the disease, which must be eliminated, Jason Zucker, MD, an infectious diseases specialist at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City, said during an Aug. 5 media briefing.

Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Novant Health selected Kim Henderson, senior vice president and chief of staff to the CEO, to also serve as the system's enterprise patient experience officer, it said in an email to Becker's Aug. 2.

Tampa (Fla.) General Hospital is using AI to streamline patient navigation to accelerate the way it admits, moves and discharges patients.

In today's highly competitive environment, hospitals must go above and beyond to provide an exceptional patient experience — but patient experience cannot be viewed in isolation.

It is a tough balancing act to improve healthcare affordability in a way that enhances both patients' financial experiences and providers' collections on outstanding patient bills.

Improving the patient experience doesn't have to come at the cost of clinician well-being. There's a way to prioritize both, two physicians wrote in a July 18 article in Harvard Business Review.

In the middle of a patient experience crisis, the logical assumption for a health system that gives patients the opportunity to request a refund is that those expenses will skyrocket. Geisinger has seen the opposite, with patient refunds on the decline in recent years. 

Patients and their caregivers with limited knowledge of English are less likely to speak up to healthcare providers and ask questions, according to a June 13 study published in JAMA Network Open.

Mercy Health-Lourdes Hospital is providing gas cards to patients with cancer to help them avoid disruptions to their treatment plans.

The last few weeks have brought stunning developments and potentially ominous signs for our country. Recent Supreme Court rulings have stripped away protections related to women’s reproductive rights and gun violence. Threats to rights for the LGBTQ+ community and other vulnerable populations also appear to be on the horizon. We are facing an unprecedented rollback of rights for members of our communities.

For many healthcare leaders, implementing new technology feels like a zero-sum game.

Healthcare CFOs have not had an easy year. The cost of care continues to climb while revenue falls. The numbers aren’t pretty: since 2020, staffing costs jumped 26.6% while hospital margins in 2022 have closed in the negative1 for the first 4 months (and have yet to be positive). Operating margins have decreased by 56-78% year-over-year. Claim denials are skyrocketing, up 23% since 20162. The stats just keep coming—and so does the financial pressure. 

Talking to patients about the social determinants of their health is just as, if not more, important as prescribing medication to treat an ailment, according to physicians practicing at organizations that utilize screenings to learn about factors like housing and employment. 

Healthgrades has recognized 399 hospitals as recipients of its 2022 Outstanding Patient Experience Award, the organization said June 21. This represents the top 15 percent of hospitals in the U.S. for patient experience. 

Gone are the days when people waited for their insurance or other sources to tell them where to get healthcare. People today look for healthcare the same way they look for a restaurant — with online reviews. 

In today's healthcare market, patients see themselves as consumers and expect a consumer-like experience.

Daniela Lamas, MD, a pulmonary and critical care physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, has noticed a big difference in her hospital and in patient care since the pandemic began: "an erosion of the family presence that we once embraced."

When Marcelle Davis, PhD, joined Richmond, Va.-based VCU Health System in the fall of 2020, a large part of her goal revolved around initiatives to improve inclusivity.