Innovating the Patient Experience: Trends Gaps and Opportunities

Innovation is the life blood of all industries. Without it, organizations are unable to meet the changing needs of their “end users.” Over time, technology and other aspects of modernization falls behind leaving an organization vulnerable to competition and, ultimately, lack of innovation impacts the bottom line and an organization suffers or dies. So, if we accept innovation as a necessary life force within any industry/ organization, we must then both anticipate and invite patient experience innovation within healthcare. In 2019, The Beryl Institute held its inaugural Innovation Award Ceremony during the Annual Patient Experience Conference taking place in Dallas, Texas. Awards were given in four categories; organizational, team, professional and patient and family advisor. If we are to assume that these submissions are a microcosm of the innovation landscape, the clearly evident trends and gaps provide a “heat map” of sorts that allows us insight into where there is the most energy for creative change, where innovations may have become stagnant and where there may be a lack of energy, knowledge or drive for change. With discoveries and opportunities transferrable to many healthcare settings, the paper examines innovation through The Beryl Institute’s Experience Framework. This includes eight strategic lenses through which organizations can address experience improvement and excellence.