Defining Patient and Human Experience

To develop the Institute's definition of patient experience, we formed a work group of patient experience leaders from a cross-section of healthcare organizations. The group shared perspectives, insights and backgrounds on what patient experience means to them and collaboratively created this definition. We believe it provides a starting point for the conversation around this important issue.

It is essential for health care organizations to develop a formal definition for what experience means to them. We encourage organizations that do not have a definition to adopt or adapt ours.

Patient Experience
We define the patient experience as the sum of all interactions, shaped by an organization’s culture, that influence patient perceptions across the continuum of care.

Human Experience
We believe human experience in healthcare is grounded in the experiences of patients & families, members of the healthcare workforce and the communities they serve.