Healthcare Goes High-fashion to Improve Patient Experience

Online, October 26, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Recently, iconic fashion designer, Diane Von Furstenberg took a break from designing evening wear to design hospital haute couture. She teamed up with the Cleveland Clinic to design a new hospital gown, one that wouldn't fly open in the back and felt a little less like crepe paper. Hospital project managers say they were looking for a way to improve their patients' experience, and many patients had been vocal about the old hospital gown being a huge drawback.

"This project represents the vast opportunities there are within the healthcare experience to make it about the patient," says Jamie Verkamp, Partner at (e)Merge Medical Marketing. "It takes into account that people perceive things differently, like comfort and modesty. This hospital is acknowledging that they see a wide variety of patients every day; some are fine with paper gowns that don't close in the back and others, it may truly bother them. It's that level of sensitivity that patients are really impressed with and why they'll choose one hospital over another for their healthcare needs."

A recent Facebook survey conducted by (e)Merge also showed that the hospital gown was a huge source of discontentment and anxiety for patients. When asked what they dreaded most about the doctor, many respondents cited the widely-used Johnny gown over other inconveniences.

"Yes, the Johnny gown is a problem. But the message here is not that every hospital or doctor's office needs to get new gowns. The lesson is that being sensitive to every angle of the patient experience can elevate your business. It can be little things like offering refreshments, making small talk or escorting patients throughout their visit. Or you can look at some of the bigger things like the process the patient goes through to make an appointment, down to what they wear to when they're in your care. It's taking into effect that patients are people; we all have feelings and emotions and we're looking to satisfy those emotions through all experiences, even healthcare."

(e)Merge is a medical practice growth consulting firm specializing in providing innovative, patient-centric marketing initiatives and medical mystery shopping services that enhance patient experiences to increase referrals. They can be found at www.emergewithus.com.