Three dogs have been promoted to chief comfort officers at Inova Loudoun (Va.) Hospital, ABC affiliate WJLA reported April 27.

Recently, CMS announced a proposed set of changes to the HCAHPS survey program. The proposed changes are open for comment through early June of this year. They've been a long time coming. I believe they are not only welcome, but necessary.

Artificial intelligence is paving the way for patients with conditions that hinder their ability to speak to reclaim their voices, The Washington Post reported April 20.

As healthcare enters a new era of patient expectation and care delivery—one driven by demand for digital offerings and ease of access—provider groups and health systems alike are facing a pivot point. They can no longer afford to operate under traditional models that rely on staff to serve as a scheduling hub, patient communication and engagement, office management, referral management, and care delivery.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed legislation into law April 18 that prohibits healthcare facilities in the state from restricting in-person visitation to patients.

Donations from patients and families are helping support three patient care projects at Statesville, N.C.-based Iredell Health System. 

In rural areas, where hospitals are shuttering or are no longer offering care such as labor and delivery, patients have no choice but to travel for healthcare. However, in and around big cities, the situation is the opposite: competition between hospitals to attract patients is fierce.

Jackson-based University of Mississippi Medical Center has had its application to serve as a state burn center approved, but an April 12 Mississippi Today report claims its physicians are not currently certified under basic burn care standards.

If healthcare C-suite leaders review patient survey metrics and there are no clinicians around to hear the details, did it really happen? 

During a thunderstorm can you really appreciate the grandiosity and absolute supremacy of Mother Nature?

It's an understatement to say that the healthcare environment continues to be challenging for hospitals and health systems. Many healthcare organizations are focused on strengthening the bond with patients, rebuilding their experience and trying to balance that work with restoring financial margins that have taken major hits in the post-pandemic environment.

Portland, Ore.-based Legacy Health said it will plan to divert pregnant women in labor March 17 from its Mount Hood Medical Center to another hospital even as it faces possible sanctions from the Oregon Health Authority.

The quality of the patient care experience extends far beyond the exam room as it encompasses every interaction before and after the patient's exam-room experience.

The number of consumers engaging in revenge-seeking behavior against companies has more than tripled over the past three years, reflecting dual trends of declining customer experiences and the digitization of complaining.

A Los Angeles area hospital operated by Ontario, Calif.-based Prime Healthcare is under investigation after the death of a woman in its care amid allegations of neglect, according to a March 3 report in The Guardian.

Healthcare experiences defined by long wait times, rushed visits with overworked clinicians and high bills are disillusioning U.S. patients, TIME reported Feb. 27. 

A majority of Americans are still uneasy about artificial intelligence being used in their own medical care, a Feb. 22 report from Pew Research Center found. 

Nearly half of provider group executives cite quality of scheduling as the most important factor for patient experience in a recent survey; optimizing patient communication will pay big dividends in 2023.

Hamilton, Ontario-based McMaster University and Nashville, Tenn.-based Vanderbilt University researchers found changing the tune of hospital medical devices can improve patient and clinician experience.

Consumers today expect basic mobile patient engagement tools from the healthcare system.