A group of Chicagoland hospital leaders took an unlikely field trip to learn about patient satisfaction: They toured a home appliance retailer, reports Chicago Tribune.
Hospital leaders visited an Abt Electronics store in Glenview, Ill., June 18 as part of Medline Industries' new Patient Experience and Innovation Institute.
Leaders learned about the huge effort Abt makes to keep consumers happy. The store features a candy store, giant bubble-maker for children and an in-house Apple store, not to mention numerous customization options for its products — all aimed at providing the ultimate customer experience.
More healthcare organizations are recognizing the importance of patient satisfaction, especially in competitive markets like Chicago where healthcare consumers have the option to seek care at many different health systems. However, their efforts often lag behind those of major retailers like Abt.
"It's not just the care, it's everything that goes into that care and making the patient feel loved," Lisa Petrilli, Medline's senior director of strategic marketing told Chicago Tribune. "If you can do that with appliances, you can absolutely do that with healthcare."