The Patient Experience, as Told by The Office

A recent episode of The Office makes one wonder how closely the story parallels real life experiences in hospital birthing centers.

<SPOILER ALERT>

If you didn’t see the episode, Pam goes into labor at the office and reluctantly agrees to be driven to the hospital by her boss Michael. Reluctant because she is hoping to somehow hold off until after midnight, since her insurance company will only pay for a 2 night stay. Michael drives Pam and Jim to Scranton General hospital, and parks the car illegally because he’s unsure of where to park (not all that surprising for Michael). Excited parents-to-be Pam and Jim are greeted by a sarcastic nurse, moved to a shared patient room and finally after the birth of their daughter, must deal with a male lactation consultant (awkward!). Pam is overjoyed when her baby finally latches on during a middle-of-the-night feeding, only to realize that she’s nursing her roommate’s baby.

Like so many TV shows, The Office exaggerates the healthcare experience to muster some laughs (which they did quite successfully in my view). However the fictitious Scranton General may not be that far fetched from real-life experiences. I’m sure nearly all of us have at least encountered a less than friendly healthcare worker before.

Patient experience is definitely a growing priority for healthcare marketers, because they know consumers have choice. However there is often a huge gap between what is being talked about vs. what is actually being done.

According to the HealthLeaders Media Patient Experience Leadership Survey, 46% of healthcare executives said they spent less than $50,000 on patient experience initiatives, and 11% said they have no budget at all. Furthermore, 25% of respondents said lack of funding or budgeting priority is their biggest stumbling block to adopting a patient experience strategy. Without a doubt, healthcare marketers are feeling the pressure to do more with less, as are marketers across virtually every other industry.

But improving patient experience needn’t cost exorbitant amounts of money. Even Scranton General can implement easy, cost effective ideas. Parking signs that clearly direct those arriving at the Emergency Department where they need to go. Training and departmental leadership can reinforce the importance of friendly and caring customer service, and encourage employees to consistently deliver it. A thorough admissions process can enable more complete understanding and fulfillment of patient requests and preferences.

With strong focus and leadership, a positive patient experience is possible – if not critical – in any healthcare organization regardless of the size of their wallet.

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