Customer service vs. Patient care

Abstract

In a competitive market where financial resources are limited, many of the popular approaches to improving the patient experience involve large capital investments in such things as hotel style amenities and expensive technology. The author argues that marketing based on a model of the patient as a traditional ‘customer’ is ill conceived and contributes unnecessarily to the high cost of healthcare while lacking a true understanding of, or an appropriate response to, the most basic needs of hospitalized patients that lead to patient satisfaction. Experience Framework This article is associated with the Patient, Family & Community Engagement lens of The Beryl Institute Experience Framework. (http://bit.ly/ExperienceFramework) Access other PXJ articles related to this lens. Access other resources related to this lens.

Keywords

• patient experience
• customer service
• patient care