Becker's Hospital Review

46 Executive Briefing Your staff will rally around your mission A provider with the right attitude can give voice to the patient's story and give patients a sense of control over their own health. Seen this way, the care process invites dialogue, promotes mutual understanding and helps physicians find the best means of treatment. This is a delicate exchange that demands strong interpersonal skills and an N=1 mindset from clinicians. Medical schools have known that for years and have shaped their curricula to reflect a stronger emphasis on individual patients. Patients today need this from their providers — they expect a partner in managing their health. If clinicians can master an N=1 approach, they can achieve this partnership, and it will have an indisputable effect on their work performance. And they won't just perform better; they'll work happier, too. Personalized care leaves clinicians feeling less emotionally exhausted. When they have the opportunity to authentically engage with patients, they report less stress, less burnout and much more satisfaction in their jobs. This shouldn't be surprising. Your clinical staff likely chose a career in healthcare because they felt a vocational call to help others. An N=1 mindset resonates with that call, connecting the day-to-day work of clinicians with their sense of mission and purpose. So how can organizations achieve this mindset? On a practical level, recruitment and staffing policies must support these efforts. Although cost controls have made lean staffing essential, it's important not to stretch staff too thin. Clinicians can't form personal connections with patients if they don't have time to communicate with them. It falls on healthcare leaders to ensure reasonable workloads and create the kind of environment that enables compassionate treatment. Clinicians, support staff and administration should also consistently exchange thoughts and ideas. Candor and honesty in feedback — followed by action based on that feedback—will shape healthy working relationships across the entire healthcare workforce. If properly cultivated, bonds in the workplace will also reinforce a culture of care. By supporting one another, staff members can improve morale and continuously renew a spirit of compassion for their patients. Your business will flourish in the next era of healthcare Every hospital needs an engaged staff to succeed. But leaders also need to observe the market and understand the emotions that drive their customers. For patients, unfortunately, one of the predominant emotions is confusion. In many cases, patients feel bewildered by their conditions and treatment paths and expect healthcare providers to give them clarity on these factors. But these days, patients face almost as much confusion about the care process itself. They worry about communication errors, gaps in their care, financial coverage and whether their provider is listening to them. These are understandable concerns. Fortunately for providers, allaying them doesn't need to be too complicated. Patients simply want to meet competent clinicians who show compassion when they communicate. Clinical staff can often give patients the peace of mind they want just by paying careful attention to their individual needs. Consequently, attentiveness from hospital staff goes a long way toward earning patient loyalty. For any healthcare business, that's priceless. Loyal patients will come back again and again, and they don't just bring their own business when they do — they spread the word, too. These network effects are crucial for the financial health of your organization. What could an N=1 mindset do for your organization? An N=1 mindset is a commitment to your patients, your staff and your facility. It's the effort, reaffirmed every day, to make every patient feel cared for, every time he or she visits. The right technical tools can help you transition to an N=1 state of care. But more important is the culture shift across your entire organization that such a state implies. Authentic, compassionate service for your patients starts with an unwavering focus on the individual. That's the most important commitment any provider can make, and it's also the first step in rising toward a new paradigm of care — toward genuine human understanding. n For 35 years, NRC Health has been committed to achieving human understanding. We enable healthcare organiza- tions to know the people they care for with greater clarity, immediacy, and depth. Our partners are able to illuminate and improve the key moments that define an experience and build trust. Guided by our uniquely empathic heritage, proprietary methods, skilled associates, and holistic approach, we help our partners design experiences that exceed expectations, inspire loyalty, and improve well-being among patients, residents, physicians, nurses, and staff.

• Cover