communication, discharge process, engagement, continuum of care, HCAHPS, listening, framework, employees, employee engagement, perception, patient voice, HCAHPS, Value-based purchasing, quality, empathy, responding, service recovery, communication, admission process, discharge process, improving patient experience, performance
Patient Perspectives on Outstanding Experiences: The Impact of Emotionally Intelligent Staff

Richard W. Millard, Ph.D.
J.D. Power and Associates

This paper explores how the quality of staff interpersonal skills influences overall patient experience. The communication skills of hospital staff are often what have the largest influence on patient experience, and events before and after hospitalization also exert a surprisingly large impact. These are over-arching conclusions highlighted by the National Patient Experience Study (NPES), a national survey conducted by J.D. Power that examined the experiences of 3,500 recently-discharged inpatients. Through sharing details of the study, this paper offers insight to help healthcare organizations focus on the power of positive interactions.

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Related Body of Knowledge courses: Employee Engagement.