Dr. Merlino differentiates “keeping patients happy” from delivering a positive patient experience, which is more about a hospital’s and provider’s approach to care, he wrote. He said two basic factors — attention and communication — are at the heart of good customer service in healthcare, as in other industries.
He argues that healthcare lags other industries in providing great customer service but that incentives under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, such as the Value-Based Purchasing Program, which includes HCAHPS scores in payment determinations, are changing that trend.
“Customer service in the healthcare industry is an idea whose time has come — and it deserves serious attention,” he wrote. “It’s up to us to deliver it so we not only deliver the best possible care, but so that in return we are given something that every business covets: satisfied and repeat customers.”
More Articles on Patient Experience:
How to Increase Patient Engagement and Satisfaction Through Patient Estimation
Study: Electronic Communication Improves Patient Experience, Increases Physicians’ Workload
48 Quietest Hospitals in the U.S.
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