Improving The Patient Experience, One Person at a Time

The patient experience is, at its core, both universal and individual. Patients in hospitals everywhere universally experience discomfort, fear, frustration, anxiety, and everything else that goes with being acutely ill. Yet how they each process these feelings; how they interpret the culture of the hospital and the values of those who care for them; and how they manage their expectations is totally unique. Susan E. Mazer, Ph.D., has been observing, writing, and speaking about the patient experience for more than 20 years. In a compilation of selected posts from her blog, she offers insights and observations to improve the patient experience, including: the effect of environmental factors, such as noise, on patients; the importance of providing compassionate care; and what HCAHPS scores really mean.