Posted on August 6, 2019 by West Corporation
Patients who have been discharged from the hospital are more likely to return to the emergency department or be readmitted if they have high levels of pain. According to one study that looked at 30-day readmissions and ER visits following surgeries, patients in the highest reported pain categories also had the highest rate of non-planned readmissions and ER visits.… Read more
Posted on July 23, 2019 by West Corporation
Patient expectations for positive healthcare experiences continue to rise thanks to the streamlined experiences they have as consumers with other industries. Other industries prioritize convenient communication along the customer journey so that interactions are meaningful, convenient and informative. For healthcare organizations, this means that they can no longer leave all responsibility for creating positive experiences through between-visit communication with the patient.… Read more
Posted on July 16, 2019 by West Corporation
More Americans than ever—28.7 million to be precise—are expected to use smartwatches this year. Many will utilize activity tracking and health monitoring features, along with apps to count steps, track sleep and monitor their heart rate. Healthcare teams can capitalize on smartwatch adoption to help patients achieve their health goals by connecting smartwatch activity tracking to personalized care plans.… Read more
Posted on July 9, 2019 by West Corporation
When healthcare leaders put their heads together and strategize how to improve healthcare experiences for patients, much of the focus tends to be on improving clinical processes and facilities. However, one area that patients suggest needs improvement is the financial side of the patient experience. Here are three problems patients say need to be fixed in order to elevate the financial experience for patients:
Problem #1: Healthcare bills often catch patients by surprise.… Read more
Posted on July 1, 2019 by West Corporation
If knowing ideal blood pressure, weight, cholesterol, blood sugar and other health numbers are part of health management, then many patients are ill-equipped to manage their chronic diseases on their own. Too many patients do not know their current and target health metrics or what those numbers mean. The good news is that healthcare teams can easily offer support to help patients better understand where they are and where they need to be in terms of their health readings.… Read more
Posted on June 25, 2019 by West Corporation
The amount of time that patients spend waiting for their doctors directly impacts the provider’s satisfaction rating. A 2018 report on healthcare wait times showed that doctors who kept patients waiting the longest received a one-star rating by patients, the lowest ranking on the scale. At the same time, doctors with the shortest wait times received the highest rating of five stars.… Read more
Posted on June 18, 2019 by West Corporation
The devices Americans use to communicate, as well as their communication preferences, have changed dramatically. Payphones and landlines are vanishing, while ownership of smartphones has exploded. Not only have the devices changed, but how we use them to communicate has also evolved. Digital communications continue to gain in popularity, and because of this, many healthcare organizations need to modernize their patient communication strategies.… Read more
Posted on June 11, 2019 by West Corporation
What’s the worst travel experience you’ve ever had? Most Americans have a story or two to tell about a travel experience that went wrong. Overbooked flights, lost hotel reservations, rental car trouble, long lines of stranded travelers and missing luggage are just a few examples of some of the disappointing customer experiences the travel industry is known for delivering.… Read more
Posted on June 4, 2019 by West Corporation
A West survey of 1,036 adults and 317 healthcare providers in the U.S. revealed that approximately one in four Americans (24%) don’t feel valued by their healthcare providers. This number may seem a bit surprising, especially considering that same survey also found that 94 percent of healthcare providers feel confident their organization does a good job making patients feel valued.… Read more
Posted on May 21, 2019 by West Corporation
Three is the magic number of wishes a person is typically granted in fairytales and stories. But if you ask patients what they’d wish for in terms of healthcare improvements, three wishes wouldn’t be enough to cover even a fraction of their demands. Even by narrowing the parameters to just asking patients about their preferences regarding healthcare communication, it is difficult to whittle patients’ wishes down to just three—trust us, we tried.… Read more
