Listen in or watch as host David Mandell interviews Dr. Benjamin Ostrander, who delivered a lecture on innovation at a recent medical conference that David attended. David begins with questions he asks all physician guests to the program—about their initial interest in becoming a physician and in their particular area. Ben explains his family background in engineering, his initial degrees in engineering and bio engineering and his gravitation to medical school and surgery.
(Video Available November 14, 2024 at 6 AM Eastern)
David and Ben then focus on the topic of innovation in general and specifically how medicine can learn from other industries—first discussing how the checklist concept came to medicine from aviation. Ben shares some of his research on the science and art of hospitality and how these concepts could translate into medicine. David and Ben then jump into a number of potential ways medicine could benefit from lessons learned in hospitality—from patient experience to environmental factors to employee satisfaction. Finally, Ben provides further resources for those interested in applying these concepts into their practice or hospital workplace.
TAKEAWAYS:
Takeaway 1: The Importance of Incorporating Elements of Hospitality in Healthcare
The discussion highlighted the necessity of incorporating principles from the hospitality industry into medical practices. Ben expressed the importance of treating patients with the same level of care and attention that guests at a high-end restaurant or hotel might receive, improving patient satisfaction and overall experience.
Ostrander stated, “One of the main takeaways from the program is thinking about innovation in using this model called the Innovation Spiral. The Innovation Spiral is based on coming up with a problem and developing a solution by thinking about multiple aspects of that solution at the same time.” He also mentioned, “I mean, I think right now, probably the most famous book in hospitality is a book written by Will Guidara called Unreasonable Hospitality…His idea was to treat hospitality as important as the food and to be unreasonable in the way that you applied it to an experience, to a customer experience.”
David agreed, sharing his personal experience with good patient care, “That’s the memory I have of it is that that person and sort of like a warm blanket that they had these blankets that were already warmed, that’s the place I want to go back.” He emphasized that good patient care has a significant impact on a patient’s choice of healthcare provider, making it a vital business decision.
Takeaway 2: The Correlation Between Satisfied Employees and Satisfied Patients
The webinar emphasized that satisfied employees often result in satisfied patients. Both Benjamin and David agreed that employee satisfaction is a crucial factor in providing excellent patient care. They discussed the importance of ensuring that employees feel supported and are part of a positive work environment.
Ostrander stated, “Really, I think the idea is if you’re taking care of the people around you, if you are happy, that will extend to every part of the experience, it’ll extend your customers, it’ll help keep them loyal.” Mandell added, “I mean, anything from the receptionist at the medical or dental practice to the extenders, nurses, PAs, et cetera, if they’re in a good mood, if they’re happy, they’re satisfied, they like working where they’re at, that’s going to impact how they treat the patients and then the patient’s experience.”
Takeaway 3: The Application of Lessons from Other Industries into Healthcare
The discussion centered on the potential benefits of applying lessons from other industries, specifically hospitality, into healthcare. Ben discussed how looking at problems from different angles could lead to innovative solutions in healthcare, while David suggested that these concepts should be viewed as business decisions that could affect patient care and satisfaction.
Ben mentioned a hospitality model he found useful, “I mean, I think in terms of applying these principles, I like to use a framework that divides it into three elements, people, place and process.” David agreed, stating, “Really, some of those things you’re saying, not dissimilar from even an MBA approach, meaning that it’s a little bit different, but what’s the marketplace going to be for this and how are you going to get a product to market that is survival.” Both agreed that taking a multidisciplinary approach could lead to significant improvements in the healthcare industry.
INSIGHTS
- Innovation in Healthcare: Ben emphasizes the importance of medical innovation, healthcare management, and surgical process improvement in his work.
- Multidisciplinary Approach: He leverages his diverse background to bridge gaps between disciplines and approach healthcare innovation from unique angles.
- Bioengineering Innovation Program: Ben discusses his experience in a bioengineering innovation program that involved projects in both domestic and low-resource healthcare markets.
- The Innovation Spiral: A key takeaway from Ben’s education is the “Innovation Spiral,” a model for developing healthcare solutions that consider regulatory, intellectual property, and engineering aspects simultaneously.
- Hospitality in Medicine: Ben’s talk at the AAFPRS conference focused on applying lessons from the hospitality industry to improve patient care and experience in healthcare.
- Importance of Patient Experience: The discussion highlights how elements from other industries, like hospitality, can be borrowed to enhance patient satisfaction and outcomes in healthcare.
- Application of Aviation Safety: Aviation safety principles, particularly the use of checklists, have been successfully integrated into healthcare to improve surgical outcomes.
- Environmental Impact on Healthcare: Studies suggest that the physical environment, including architecture, lighting, and even scents, can significantly impact patient perception and anxiety levels.
- Patient Experience Model: The PAEER model (Prepare, Anticipate, Engage, Evaluate, and Reward) is discussed as a framework for integrating hospitality into healthcare.
- Employee Satisfaction: The podcast underscores the importance of satisfied employees in delivering a positive patient experience, as satisfied employees are correlated with satisfied customers.
- Healthcare as a Business: The conversation acknowledges the competitive nature of healthcare today and the importance of incorporating hospitality principles to stand out.
- Further Learning: Resources such as “Unreasonable Hospitality,” “Patients Come Second,” and training programs from the Disney Institute are suggested for those interested in applying these concepts in healthcare.