The Patient Perspective: Reframing Efficiency in Hospital Care
Patients value efficient care, but they don't always measure it the way healthcare leaders do. With healthcare waste costing the U.S. system an estimated $760B to $935B annually, operational efficiency has become a top strategic priority for health systems nationwide.
This joint report from Care Logistics and Advisory Board surveyed 254 recent hospital patients to uncover what shapes their perception of an efficient, well-run stay. The findings point to an opportunity: while hospitals measure efficiency in length of stay and throughput, patients feel it through communication, access, and care coordination. For health system leaders balancing margin pressure with patient experience, this report offers data-backed strategies for aligning what the organization measures with what patients notice.
What You'll Learn:
Why patients forgive delays, and why they don't. Even though 42% of patients experienced preventable delays, 82% still reported being satisfied with their care. The survey identifies the single factor most responsible for that resilience, cited by 69% of patients as a top driver of their experience.
What drives patients away. See which operational breakdowns patients cite most often as reasons they wouldn't recommend or return to a hospital or health system, and how they differ from the metrics leaders typically track.
Where front-door delays really originate. Patients consistently point to specific, non-clinical bottlenecks as the source of admission frustration, including one cause tied to 70% of delayed bed moves.
Discover the cost of unnecessary inpatient days, the common causes, and the care coordination levers you can pull to avoid them.
Three strategy areas your peers are already acting on, drawn from interviews with health system executives and their observations and insights regarding the patient survey results.