It comes as no shock that our patients possess a variety of personality types and traits.  Some consumers’ lives are filled with a steady stream of appointments and “must-dos”, while others lead a more leisurely lifestyle.  There are patients who are repulsed by the thought of having to sit through a congenial conversation with a

As healthcare continues to grow, so do the amazing advancements taking place within the field.  Comparing healthcare in the 1960s to now can be astonishing.  Take a few of these comparisons for example: 1961: Multipart hospital charge tickets with punch-card borders are introduced to reduce the paperwork burden for nurses. 2013: Patients can easily get

So often, negative customer service experiences are the ones that remain most prevalent in our minds.  When we encounter positive interactions it can be refreshing and uplifting.  This recent holiday season I was exceptionally pleased with the healthcare interaction I witnessed. Unfortunately, this Christmas, a family member was checked into the hospital and instructed to

“Hospital care is not ideal for many older patients,” said Bruce Leff, MD, lead author of the study and associate professor at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Many patients perceive hospitals as cold, lonely, unfortunate places filled with disease and sadness. Not the ideal place to fully recover and return to daily life.

A new innovative start up, known as Castlight Health, strives to bring transparency to the healthcare industry’s pricing structure.  The company, founded in 2008 in San Francisco, aims to arm customers’ with valuable information aiding in healthcare purchasing decisions.  Consider it a virtual priceline.com for the healthcare world; searching out quotes in a specific geographical

How does an organization with roughly 760,000 employees worldwide maintain positive customer service scores? With an 8 point increase in customer service ratings in 2011 (American Customer Service Index), McDonald’s has built an admirable organization with strong customer service values. Excellent customer service skills are not naturally occurring in most humans, but with proper training

HIPAA violations; one of those things you watch happen to others, but never see happening to yourself… and then it does. This is the current reality for a small cardiothoracic practice in Prescott, Arizona. While this penalty ($100,000) may shy in comparison to 2011’s $4.3 million HIPAA penalty assessed to Cignet Health in Maryland, this

Incorporating a Social Media strategy into an organization, be it healthcare or other various industry, can be puzzling.  Questions ranging from, “What’s the point?” to “Are we even doing this right?” are bound to arise.  Everyone begins their Social Media adventure with a different level of knowledge and expertise.  For many healthcare organizations, we find

An article from HealthLeaders August 2011 edition gives us a detailed look at where patient experience initiatives rank among importance throughout various healthcare organizations. While 55% of respondents ranked patient experience within their top five priorities; the more alarming statistic relates to the 22% reporting “an abundance of higher priorities” and the 11% deeming a

Medical records must be dealt with in a professional manner. A practice’s patients should feel their medical information is being kept secure and being forwarded in a confidential manner.  The choice of handling records in house or outsourcing to an independent firm is an important decision healthcare organizations must make. Although not well known outside