How to Use Patient Journey Mapping to Provide Better Experiences

Today’s patients are demanding more from their local health systems. A presence in their local community is no longer enough; they’re looking for healthcare providers who fit into their schedule, deliver exceptional customer service, and empower them to manage their own care. Many consumers have even gone as far as to say they want the same experience in healthcare that they get from retailers and other service providers.

This is why the patient experience has taken a front-and-center role in the continuum of care. To deliver a service on par with popular consumer brands, healthcare organizations must think about patient experience not in terms of discrete encounters, but as a nonlinear route that takes place over weeks, months, years, and even generations when you consider newborns. In other words, the patient journey.

What Is Patient Journey Mapping?

Smart health systems continually evaluate their patient experiences using patient journey mapping. This process allows for inspection of the end-to-end pathways that patients follow while seeking and receiving healthcare services.

Kick-starting your journey mapping strategy is a collaborative exercise: Since patients tend to spend more time interacting with marketing materials, healthcare websites, online portals, contact center representatives, and administrative staff than with providers, all patient-facing departments should be encouraged to participate in journey-mapping sessions.