What Do Hospital Patients Have In Common With Airline Passengers?

Delta Airlines recently announced it is sending its 11,000 ticket agents back to school for a refresher course in customer service.  "No one cared or apologized" was a recurring comment among Delta's passengers last year.  Hospital patients, like airline passengers, often feel shortchanged.
A Schwartz Center poll of 800 recently hospitalized patients found that there is a significant gap between the care patients expected and the care they received.  A new report from the Institute for Health Improvement (IHI) provides guidance on how to eliminate this gap.
The IHI  report, "Achieving an Exceptional Patient and Family Experience of Inpatient Hospital Care," examines what determines patient experience and what steps hospitals can take to enhance the care they provide.  The following excerpts stood out as I read through the report:

• The basis of an exceptional patient and family experience is a respectful partnership which allows patients and families to participate in their care at the level they choose
• Respectful, empathic relationships, combined with clinical quality are essential to achieving exceptional patient experiences
• Compassionate communication and teamwork are crucial skills for professional caregivers
• Professional caregivers must feel supported to provide empathic and compassionate care

Delta Airlines finally got the message:  a positive customer experience matters.  When it comes to healthcare, patient experience matters too.  In fact, it matters a lot.  As the IHI report notes, "a growing body of evidence shows that improving the patient experience and developing partnerships with patients are linked to improved health outcomes."  I highly recommend you read the entire report.  It's a valuable roadmap for making positive patient experiences a reality.  (There is no charge to download the report but an email registration is required.)

What do you think of the IHI suggestions for improving patient experience?