Journal of Patient Experience (Sep 2024)
“Short, Modern, Smart”: Humanizing Healthcare Experiences Through Modernized Feedback
Abstract
Humanizing healthcare experiences is imperative for global healthcare organizations, emphasizing connections, empathy, and trust between patients, providers, and the broader community. Patients seek personalized, compassionate care, while employees prioritize supportive workplaces. Modernized feedback programs recognize consumer preferences for convenience and accessibility, leveraging technology like artificial intelligence (AI) for real-time insights. Northwestern Medicine's “Short, Modern, Smart” feedback program exemplifies this, focusing on efficiency, contemporary needs, and technology for action. Key considerations include (1) Short: Streamlining surveys for efficiency, (2) Modern: Prioritizing open-ended comments for personalized insights, and (3) Smart: Leveraging AI for proactive understanding. Recommendations for organizations include implementing formal change management, adopting unified metrics for comprehensive experience measurement, and leverage AI to connect feedback back to humans. In conclusion, humanizing healthcare starts with effective feedback collection and actioning. Northwestern Medicine's approach offers insights, emphasizing streamlined processes, personalized engagement, and technological empowerment, which organizations should prioritize for growth and continuous improvement.