March 30, 2008 
It is a topic I am just hearing about although I heard my architecture friends talk about it 15+ years ago. Forrester even has a patient experience ranking now called the Customer Experience Index. They ask consumers 3 questions:
- Thinking about your recent interactions with these firms, how effective were they at meeting your needs?
- How easy was it to work with these firms?
- How enjoyable were the interactions?
Perhaps not surprisingly, but certainly unfortunately, healthcare ranks at the bottom. (Note: They ranked 112 companies.)
So, it begs the question of how many of us think about things from an experience perspective.
One of the more interesting experiments I saw in architecture school was where some students set up a display where different areas of the building had color and sound that where activated by motion. The smiles and reactions from people were interesting. But, how often are we sitting down and mapping out the process and experience of the patient from open enrollment through different scenarios?
If we are, are we looking at all their different senses? Are we thinking about how different they are and how they will react to different information, events, colors, sounds?
One interesting think that a friend of mine introduced me to last year was the concept of sonic branding (i.e., branding a sound). I immediately think of Harley Davidson, but she talks about how Ford‘s door chime is viewed by them as a unique brand sound. I would guess Pringles has a unique sound when you open the can.
But, I can’t think of any healthcare organizations with a unique sonic brand (think AOL‘s “You’ve got mail”). Another missed opportunity…perhaps?
Enabling Healthy Decisions 
A lot of healthcare companies (including government organizations) are starting to use mystery shopping as a tool to hold people accountable service delivery. The AMA recently endorsed its use. I think this could be a great tool.
A lot of healthcare companies (including government organizations) are starting to use mystery shopping as a tool to hold people accountable service delivery. The AMA recently endorsed its use. I think this could be a great tool.