Case Study: Less Intense ED Journey Unlocked by Direct Stakeholder Engagement

In the complex business of healthcare, it's easy to overlook the direct link between customer experience and strategic success due to the indirect nature of payment responsibilities.

However, firsthand stories from patients in our client’s emergency department (ED) challenge this notion.

One patient shared, “I was sitting among individuals in distress or with psychological issues, and when I’m feeling horrible myself, it’s a nightmare. That's why I chose a competitor after that experience."

This sentiment reflects the experiences of many low-acuity patients who felt invisible and helpless in an ED tailored for high-acuity cases.

The core challenges faced worsen the pain that brought them there in the first place:

- Discomfort and Distress: Patients endure additional pain and anxiety, compounded by the chaotic environment.

- Lack of Clarity: Uncertainty about care sequences and progress fuels frustration.

- Care Team Stress: Clinicians face "switching stress," toggling between war-zone intense critical care and low-acuity care with higher customer experience expectations, which can overwhelm and make it difficult to deliver on those experiential expectations.

Transformative improvements occur when we intentionally segment patient experiences to meet their diverse needs. Exceptional care is intentional, focusing on specific patient sub-populations.

So, what might that look like?

Here are four key strategic improvements we must explore to create better, more personalized experiences that make patients and families feel truly cared for:

1️⃣ Redesign Intensity Flow: Tailor patient journeys to empathize and respond to varying needs from arrival to discharge.

2️⃣ Pathway "Stations": Designate clear areas for low, medium, and high-acuity cases, offering order amidst distress.

3️⃣ Private Check-in Options: Enable self or in-person triage check-ins to empower patients and reduce anxiety.

4️⃣ Redistributed Waiting Spaces: Segment waiting areas by acuity to alleviate cross-experience discomfort.

Implementing these strategies reduces stress, boosts satisfaction, and fosters loyalty. Additionally, it supports clinical teams in delivering superior care…and feeling cared for themselves.

Ignoring these insights risks deteriorating patient satisfaction, increased dropout rates, and damaging institutional reputations, ultimately affecting volume and market share.

Ultimately, by engaging diverse stakeholders directly and collaboratively, we unlocked critical insights and co-created strategies for a more compassionate healthcare experience.

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Hi, I’m Joel Worthington, and I help service-oriented, intrapreneurial leaders harness the power of collaboration and subject matter expertise to elevate the value of cross-disciplinary teams and partners.

Email me at joel@jwcollaborative.com to connect about #collaboration #codesign #humancentereddesign #facilitation #coaching and #coachsulting