ket share. Patients are very savvy. They go online to find out what others say about the facility, the
physician and the care they received. That's informing potential patients about where to go, and it's
going on across the country.
What about insurers? Do they care?
Sure, payors want the care we provide to be patient-centric. When it is, quality outcomes improve and
the cost of care is lowered.
There's more to it than that. Facility reputations are at stake.
Yeah, if patients don't have a really great experience, they'll find another place to go. If you can't get
cases started on time, what else can't you get right? You have one chance to do really well. When you
do, patients will tell their family and friends about it.
But let's not lose focus on why our readers do what they do.
At the end of the day, they want to feel like they made a connection with patients and made a differ-
ence in their lives. It's about compassionate care, empathy and making sure processes are in place to
make it an easier day for patients as well as for staff and physicians.
Every facility can't dedicate a full-time position to patient concerns.
They don't have to. Listen to the voice of the patient, whether it's through satisfaction surveys or truly
tuning into what they say while in your care. Identify the priorities for patients, and then work on
addressing the top one or two.
Patients have always mattered, but now it seems like they really matter.
It's really an exciting time. We've touched on focusing on the patient for many years, but there's
enough momentum now where care truly is becoming patient-centered.
The organizations that figure that out the fastest will thrive.
OSM
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