Health system leaders track efficiency through length of stay, discharge timing and throughput. Patients measure it based on whether they understood what was happening and felt their care was on track. Both matter, but only one determines whether they return.
Advisory Board, in partnership with Care Logistics, surveyed 254 recent hospital patients about what makes a stay feel efficient, and then tested the findings with health system executives. Of those patients, 42% said their stay ran longer than expected and believed some or all of the delay was preventable. Yet 82% were still satisfied with their care. One factor explains why.
Executives from Mary Washington Healthcare, Montage Health, AnMed Health and Valley Health share how they are making operational efficiency something patients can feel.
This report lays out what patients actually notice, and what operational leaders can do about it.
Inside the report:
- Why 82% of patients stayed satisfied when 42% saw preventable delays
- The operational breakdowns patients cite when they don’t come back
- Where front-door delays start, including one cause behind 70% of delayed bed moves
- Three strategy areas health system executives are acting on now
- The cost of unnecessary inpatient days, and the coordination levers that prevent them