Consumer Satisfaction a Priority in 2010
A recent Healthcare Leaders Media Industry Survey found consumer satisfaction ranked third on the list of top priorities in the coming years for Senior Executives in healthcare. While the high ranking was unexpected, with patient satisfaction ranking above issues like reimbursements, capital improvements and revenue cycles, it shows leaders have renewed their focus on the most important, often forgotten piece of healthcare–the patient. This survey is yet another report that validates the importance of the patient experience initiative, as consumer-driven healthcare becomes more widespread. The healthcare industry is finally taking notes for other service related industries and focusing on the patient experience.
As healthcare organizations look to satisfy their patients and their need for a better experience, understanding how patients of a varied demographic perceive their current experience is very powerful. With this information leaders can utilize it as a guide to making important decisions about staff training, cultural shifts, facility improvements and marketing initiatives to create loyal patients and attract new patients to the organizations. Unbiased patient perceptions are best measured through medical mystery shopping programs, the use of secret patients, to evaluate an organization on many levels. From the phone call to the follow-up, medical mystery shopping is a powerful tool in medical practice growth.
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