Business Administration, Management, and Operations Commons^™

Building A Culture Of Trust: Engaging Teams With Targeted Tactics For Meaningful Improvement In Patient Experience, Anna Buckner, Kimberly Lewis

Patient Experience Journal

Rising financial pressures and the need to revitalize culture prompted a renewed emphasis on patient experience at Billings Clinic. This case study describes the impact of redefining patient experience as a measure of trust and a set of care processes. It presents an alternative to the more traditional view of patient experience as an outcome metric based on meeting patient expectations. Billings Clinic chose the patient survey question likelihood of recommending as an organizational goal or key performance indicator (KPI). Under the direction of executive leadership, the patient experience team developed a new strategic framework aimed at driving improvement for …

Patient-Centred Care: An Integrated Bibliometric And Structural Equation Modelling Approach, Japheth Nuhu Ahmed

Patient Experience Journal

This study investigates how communication and service quality in Patient Relationship Management impact patient satisfaction through trust. The literature in this field is predominantly in developed countries, whereas it is scarce in sub-Saharan Africa. Combining bibliometric analysis and structural equation modelling, the study highlights emerging research trends and provides empirical evidence to guide healthcare practitioners, policymakers, and researchers in improving patient care. To strengthen its theoretical foundation, the study integrates the Social Exchange Theory and Expectancy–Disconfirmation Theory to explain the model. The study retrieved quantitative data from the Scopus database for bibliometric analysis. A questionnaire was used to collect data …

From Drifting To Anchored: How Online Health Communities Can Transform Care For Complex Chronic Illness, Mads Eggerding

Patient Experience Journal

This personal narrative recounts a 25-year diagnostic odyssey with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, defined by medical fragmentation, dismissed symptoms, and profound isolation. It illustrates how Online Health Communities (OHCs) bridged the chasm between lived experience and a clinical system ill-equipped for complex chronic illness. For patients like me, these digital forums provide the peer validation, practical knowledge, and self-advocacy tools necessary to navigate a disjointed healthcare landscape. For providers, this story underscores a critical opportunity: proactive, non-judgmental engagement with OHCs is not a threat to expertise but a foundational strategy for patient-centered care. By acknowledging and constructively partnering with these patient-led spaces, …

Secondary Infertility: A Personal Story Of Loss And Grief, Ben Hughes

Patient Experience Journal

An increasing number of people worldwide are experiencing fertility and this trend is reflected in the data from the United Kingdom. However, most research focuses on the experiences of women and so the male perspective is largely missing from the literature. This narrative is an account of my personal journey of secondary infertility. Presenting a male perspective of infertility provides a point of view which is rarely explored and is about a topic which feels largely a societal taboo. I chart how infertility has changed me, what it has meant to me through my years of trying to come to …

When Hope Meets Harm: A Story Of Trust, Pain, And Consent In Intimate Care, Sharon I. Choe, Erin Foster

Patient Experience Journal

Transparent communication is key to building and maintaining strong patient-provider relationships. In this article, I interviewed a patient who shared her experience undergoing treatment for a chronic vulvar condition and the consequences that followed. She described a painful procedure for which she felt unprepared and later realized she had not been educated about the need for ongoing care. Years later, this gap in understanding contributed to irreversible disease progression. After re-establishing care with a dermatologist she felt comfortable confiding in, the patient expressed a desire for her story to be shared. This narrative presents her experience as she shared it …

Racial Concordance And The Assumption Of Trust: Why Engagement Is Often Mistaken For Partnership In The Care Of Black Men, Samantha Faith Calhoun, Lacretia Carroll, Y'Esha Williams-Click, Kola Brown

Patient Experience Journal

Race concordance between patients and clinicians is frequently promoted as a strategy to improve trust and engagement for Black men in healthcare. Evidence suggests that encounters with Black male clinicians often increase patient comfort and observable engagement; however, engagement alone does not necessarily reflect trust. Drawing on professional experience as a nurse and researcher working with Black men, and on prior research examining shared decision-making preferences among Black men with hypertension in the U.S. Mid-South, this Personal Narrative examines how race-concordant encounters may rely on presumed trust, leading clinicians to advance diagnosis and treatment planning without adequate co-construction of care. …

Co-Designing Trust: Patient Experience, Relationships, And The Design Of Care, Toni Land

Patient Experience Journal

Trust can have a positive or negative impact on patients, families, and community healthcare experience. Although important, it is often treated as something soft and intangible rather than something intentionally measured and designed. Currently, healthcare organizations collect and report patient experience data related to communication, courtesy, respect, and responsiveness. But these measures do not capture the specific behaviors that influence whether trust builds or whether it stalls. This commentary explores trust as a foundational behavioral and environmental element in healthcare and challenges that improving trust requires more than good intentions; it requires bringing voices to the table through co-design. Starting …

Staff Matters: Is Our Dental Practice's Culture As Strong As We Think It Is?, Jodi Schafer Sphr, Shrm-Scp

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This article explores how workplace culture influences employee retention, team morale, and patient experience in dental practices. The author discusses indicators of healthy and unhealthy workplace cultures, leadership behaviors that shape organizational climate, and practical strategies for gathering employee feedback, improving communication, and reinforcing accountability. Small, consistent actions are presented as effective tools for building a positive work environment.

Aligning Strategy And Execution: The Role Of Senior Leaders In Project-Driven Organizations, Kenneth J. Boff

M.S. in Leadership

Strategic alignment remains a persistent challenge in project‑driven organizations, where shifting priorities and distributed execution often create gaps between strategic intent and project‑level action. This study examined how Senior Leadership Communication Practices influence Strategy–Execution Alignment and tested whether Organizational Culture for Alignment and Change Management Readiness mediate that relationship. A quantitative, cross‑sectional survey was administered to 54 senior leaders in project‑driven environments. All constructs demonstrated strong reliability, and correlation & regression analyses confirmed significant positive relationships among leadership communication, cultural alignment, readiness, and strategic alignment. Leadership communication significantly predicted culture (R² = .444), readiness (R² = .431), and alignment (R² …

Documentation And Dashboard Driven Quality And Safety Improvement In Interpreter Services For Limited English Proficient Patients, Richard T. Dillehay, Samuel Verkhovsky, Andrew Bohm, Harley Friedman, Dawn Welshman, Ann Morong, Vidya Karthikeyan, Jessica Dampier, Amanda Racine, Brant Oliver

Patient Experience Journal

Limited English Proficiency is known as an independent driver of disparities in patient's access to healthcare and their healthcare outcomes. The Joint Commission standards require that health systems document language services delivery to patients with limited English proficiency in a systematic way. Our health system had not historically utilized a methodical system for documenting language services utilization prior to the launch of this initiative. By utilizing a Lean Six Sigma approach, a project team comprised of leaders from interpreter services, operations, data analytics, and data informatics codesigned an Epic SmartForm data collection instrument and series of Tableau dashboards to monitor …

``We'll Be Right With You'', Improving Patient Experience With Complaint Management Within A Learning Health System Collaborative, James J. Perry, Mackenzie Hahn, Angela Kmiec, Brant J. Oliver

Patient Experience Journal

An improvement team at Cheshire Medical-Dartmouth Health participated in the Care Experience Collaborative aimed at enhancing the patient and workforce experience. Utilizing a hybrid Lean Six Sigma DMAIC approach alongside modified Institute for Healthcare Improvement learning techniques, local teams were coached by quality improvement specialists. The project's focus was on improving the complaint management process to boost hospital ratings and recommendations. Initial assessments revealed significant inefficiencies, such as delays in response times and poor tracking of complaint resolutions. Implementing a new digital monitoring system in conjunction with standardized training resulted in substantial improvements: complaint resolution times decreased by 53%, while …

Patient Experience (Px) In Low- And Middle-Income Countries (Lmics): A Scoping Review, Yara Abou Harb, Geoffrey A. Silvera

Patient Experience Journal

Patient Experience (PX) is a growing subject in the healthcare industry due to its association with improved clinical outcomes, patient safety, and business motives. While PX is well studied in high income countries, little is known about the state of PX in Low and Middle-income countries (LMICs). Objective: The study aims to examine literature on PX and related concepts in LMICs. Methods: This study executes a PRISMA literature review of academic databases (Ovid Medline, CINAHL, EMBASE and Google Scholar) as well as hand searching of PX related websites from 2005 to 2024. Results: 67 references met search criteria. Four themes …

Investigating The Effectiveness Of Different Modalities In Interprofessional Training, Rose Ann Mathai, Sean Lopez, Maureen Emlund, Jim Scherrer, Elisa Buzinski, Julia Sonnichsen, Myra Carew

Patient Experience Journal

Background: Interprofessional education (IPE) highlights the importance of values and ethics, teamwork, communication, and roles and responsibilities for healthcare professionals. Different modalities have been used to teach these skills. The most effective teaching modality must be determined to enhance the collaborative learning experience. Purpose: This study evaluated the changes in student perceptions on each interprofessional competency with respect to the teaching modality. Two groups were evaluated for this study. One was taught using a hybrid curriculum and the other in-person. Methods: This study utilized the Students' Perceptions of Interprofessional Clinical Education (SPICE-R2) survey to determine the changes in student …

Leveraging Digital Patient And Family Advisory Councils To Drive Patient Engagement, Priya Radhakrishnan, Shambhavi Mishra, Melissa Price, Cammy Sanders, Fiker Bekele, Kathi Zarubi, Craig Kartchner, Amrit Singh Johal, Carol Mayer, Craig Norquist

Patient Experience Journal

Patient and Family Advisory Councils (PFACs) have been integral in enhancing patient care, but their limited reach often excludes underrepresented populations. Digital PFACs present an opportunity to overcome these barriers and engage a broader spectrum of patients and families, fostering more inclusive healthcare decision-making. We implemented a Digital Patient and Family Advisory Council (DPFAC) at HonorHealth, as part of the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) capacity building grant. We used the RE-AIM and PRISM frameworks to engage participants through a digital platform. The process began with a needs assessment and was followed by the development of the platform, during …

Inaccessibility And Performative Inclusivity: Higher-Weight Francophone And Newcomer Adults' Experiences In A Canadian Atlantic Province, Andrea E. Bombak, Norma Chinho, Kathleen O'Keefe, Sumaiya Akhter, Lisa Thomson, Courtney Burk, Lee Turner

Patient Experience Journal

Weight stigma research is needed in diverse populations. Two populations that may experience compromised healthcare in New Brunswick, Canada's only officially bilingual province (English/French), are Francophone New Brunswickers and newcomers to Canada. As such, this study explores the experiences of higher-weight (Body Mass Index ≥ 30) adults (≥ 18 years of age) who also identify as primarily Francophone or as having moved to Canada ≤ 5 years ago in and out of healthcare contexts. Participants were interviewed according to a semi-structured interview guide face-to-face, by telephone, or video-call two times, at 2-to-3-month intervals. Interviews included questions about experiences and effects …

Applying A Patient Journey Mapping Approach To Understand Maternal Care Patient Journeys: A Pilot Study, Nicole Hicks, Kristin Tully, Christopher Goodier, Sreenath Chalil Madathil, Ayaba Logan, Myrtede Alfred

Patient Experience Journal

Introduction: In the United States, giving birth is the most common cause of hospitalization. Maternal care frequently represents birthing people's first experiences of prolonged interactions with the healthcare system. However, the structure of services is often fragmented and misaligned with individuals' needs, particularly for Black birthing people. Documenting birthing people's experiences during pregnancy and postpartum allows for identification of practices working well and opportunities to improve patient-centered maternal care. Methods: The mixed-methods study was conducted in the southeastern United States and used patient journey mapping(PJM) to document experiences of patients receiving maternal care at a large academic hospital …

Using Artificial Intelligence To Enhance Patient Comprehension And Risk Perception Of Pathology Reports: Findings From A Survey Of Patients And Pathologists, Jordyn Franco, Osee Koulong Leussa, Amer K. Abu Alfa, Mark K. Fung

Patient Experience Journal

Context: Electronic health records (EHRs) provide patients with direct access to their pathology reports, often before physician consultation. However, the complexity of medical terminology can lead to misinterpretation and anxiety. Artificial intelligence (AI), particularly large language models such as ChatGPT, may improve patient comprehension by simplifying medical language. Objective: This study evaluates ChatGPT's ability to enhance patient understanding and risk perception of pathology reports by generating patient-friendly explanations and assigning a numerical concern level. Pathologists assessed the accuracy of AI-generated summaries. Design: A publicly available colonoscopy pathology report was analyzed using ChatGPT, which produced a simplified summary and concern score. …

The Quiet End Of The Visit, Avinav Biswas

Patient Experience Journal

Reassuring language is a common and often well-intentioned feature of clinical encounters, frequently used to convey clinical confidence and bring visits to a close. This personal narrative reflects on an observed outpatient encounter during a physician shadowing experience in which reassurance appeared to function not only as comfort, but also as an implicit signal of conversational closure. From the perspective of a student observer, the piece describes a moment of patient hesitation that arose after reassurance was offered, then quietly disappeared as the visit concluded. Although the encounter was clinically appropriate and efficient, the unspoken pause highlighted how uncertainty can …

How Does Communication Breakdown Impact Group Cohesion Over The Lifespan Of A Team?, Hannah Dyche

University Honors Theses

Communication is one of the main determinants of whether a team or group achieves a successful outcome; when it starts to erode, the team's overall goal often erodes with it. Communication breakdown within teams directly impacts group cohesion, causing small misunderstandings to escalate into larger conflicts. Every team experiences ups and downs, but maintaining a strong foundation of communication and continually strengthening it will prevent this breakdown.

Most of the existing research on team dynamics focuses on corporate environments. By shifting the focus to a short-term academic team, this thesis shows how communication breakdown impacts group cohesion over the lifespan …

20 Things You Should Never Say To A Patient, Richard H. Madow Dds

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This feature article details the financial advantages of utilizing MDA-endorsed vendors to improve practice profitability. It explains the vetting process performed by volunteers to ensure vendors offer meaningful discounts and vetted solutions. The source highlights specific services, such as PPO fee negotiation, dental marketing, and insurance verifications, which can save a practice over $58,000 annually. By leveraging collective bargaining, members gain access to revenue-boosting solutions without exhaustive trial-and-error searching.

Virtual Nurse Discharge: Improving Patient And Nurse Experience, Dina Flihan, Christine Odell, Stacey Davis, Carolyn Oates, Fay Wright

Patient Experience Journal

This case study reviews the virtual discharge nurse (VDN) process and its impact on patient experience and nursing workflow as an exemplar of an effective telehealth innovation at a community hospital 23-bed Short Stay Unit (SSU). At the SSU, the daily turnover rate of more than 50% of the unit census challenged the nurses’ ability to provide comprehensive individualized discharge education. SSU patient experience scores measured by the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) reflected opportunities to improve the discharge process. Therefore, the direct care nurses on SSU suggested a trial innovation of a VDN to improve …

A Case Report On Meeting The Spiritual Need Of Intubated Conscious Patient, Mahuya Karmakar, Santhna Letchmi Panduragan, Faridah Mohd Said

Patient Experience Journal

Nurses are showing more interest in including spiritual health to prevent and treat illnesses. For patients who can speak may ask for their spiritual need to the health care provider. But for intubated patients it.s difficult to express such needs. Most of the time caregivers focus on the physical parameters only for intubated patients. Apart from physical symptoms these patients also experience a variety of bio-psycho-socio-spiritual sensations. Research has shown that spiritual therapies can reduce distress, assist in preparing the patient for end-of life care, and enhance overall wellbeing along with improving their quality of life. The purpose of this …

Communicating Effectively When Engaging People With Lived Experience In Mental Health And Substance Use Health Research: A Qualitative Descriptive Study, Lisa D. Hawke, Wuraola Dada-Phillips, Charlotte Munro, Shoshana Hauer, Claudia Sendanyoye, Yona Lunsky, Gillian Strudwick, Tanya Halsall, Natasha Y. Sheikhan

Patient Experience Journal

Background. People with lived experience of mental health and/or substance use challenges and families (PWLE/F) are increasingly engaged in research, providing positive impacts. However, effective engagement can be challenging, including ensuring effective communication. This qualitative study sought to understand the communication preferences of PWLE/F who are engaged in mental health and substance use health research. Method. A total of 18 participants (aged 19 to 79) took part in one of four focus group discussions. A semi-structured interview guide was used to facilitate the discussions. Focus group transcripts were analyzed using codebook thematic analysis. PWLE/F were engaged in all stages of …

Correlation Between Resident Physician And Patient Perceptions Of Empathy In The Emergency Department, Austin Porter, James Christian, Meryll E. Bouldin, Erin Willard, Stefan Graw, Sarah House, Sofie Morgan, Kristin Parker, Carly Eastin

Patient Experience Journal

Background: Empathy is essential for emergency medicine physicians, impacting patient outcomes and experiences, especially in the fast-paced emergency department (ED). However, empathy often declines during medical training, negatively affecting care. Little is known about how emergency medicine trainees perceive their empathy compared to their patients. Objective: This study aimed to explore the correlation between patient perceptions of resident physician empathy and residents’ self-perceptions during ED visits. Methods: This was a prospective observational study was conducted at a Level 1 Trauma and Tertiary Care Center in the south-central U.S., using the Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) Measure. At patient disposition, ED …

The Hand We Hold: Reflections On Empathetic Practice In Medicine, Aravind Sreeram

Patient Experience Journal

In this narrative, I reflect on an early clinical encounter that reshaped my understanding of what it means to provide patient-centered care. As a medical student, I entered the exam room with a preset algorithm of what to say and how to act. Yet, when faced with a patient whose suffering could not be measured or addressed by any checklist, I realized the limitations of my scripted approach. I began to understand that some of the most meaningful contributions we offer in healthcare come not from solutions, but from presence. This experience helped me see that patient partnership is not …

Holding Space: An Effective Intervention For When Hope Wanes, Annette Lane, Marlette Reed, Rose Schroeder

Patient Experience Journal

Holding space is a person-centered, non-judgmental approach to working with clients. This approach goes beyond listening to client concerns; it entails deep listening and being present, developing trust with clients, and helping them connect goals with values. Within this brief account, the concept of holding space is described. What it is and is not is explained. Examples of holding space are woven throughout in order illustrate this concept. Finally, implications for professionals are provided.

The Other Side Of Trusting: The Implications Of Vulnerability As A Core Component Of Organizational Relationships, Sam Dylan Strizver

Theses and Dissertations

Trusting behavior—discretionary risk-taking with another party—is the primary means of facilitating productive workplace relationships (Zand, 1979; Mayer, Davis, & Schoorman, 1995). Yet, little empirical evidence exists to explain what happens after employees engage in trusting behavior, but before outcomes materialize—otherwise termed the “vulnerability phase” (Ballinger, Schoorman, & Sharma, 2024: 2). To address this neglect, I develop a theoretical framework that positions vulnerability as a core psychological state within the trust process, shaped by trustors’ cognitive appraisals of risk severity and uncertainty. Drawing from research on stress and well-being, the framework also identifies coping as a key response to vulnerability, moderated …

Orchestrating Complexity: The Art Of Virtual Leadership In System Modelling, Vijay Kumar Sonawane, Bipllab Roy, Purnendu Bikash Acharjee, Indu Pv

Northeast Journal of Complex Systems (NEJCS)

This paper explores the dynamics of virtual leadership within global remote work environments, focusing on the application of complex system modelling to understand and enhance leadership efficacy. The application of computational modelling has been a regular feature in economics, science and technology fields, however its application in virtual leadership with linkage to sport leadership appears to be a novel concept. Adopting a multidisciplinary approach, this paper incorporates Game Theory as a conceptual framework to make the leadership model more relevant and applicable that can offer simpler understanding of complex play of leadership drivers. The model incorporates five key leadership dimensional …

The Impact Of Brand Ownership Structure On Favorability And Authenticity Perception Of Surf Athlete Sponsorships, Tayler K. Baldwin

Journalism

This study investigates whether the ownership form of a surf brand, i.e., public or private, affects consumer authenticity and brand favorability impressions when partnered with surf athletes. Following Aaker's Brand Equity Model and relevant literature on influencer marketing and subcultural branding, the study employs a mixed-methods approach with a structured questionnaire survey (n = 526) alongside qualitative analysis of open-ended responses. Quantitative results indicate minimal variation in mean brand favorability for public compared to private brands, while privately owned brands had more consistent perceptions of authenticity across combinations of athlete partnerships. Qualitative outcomes support the assumption that privately owned brands …

The Impact Of Learners On Patient Satisfaction In The Orthopedic Setting, Sydney Boike, Kevin Hodge, Lynsey Malin, Timothy Nyangacha, Rebekah Kleinsmith, Megan Reams, Julia Stumpf, Bradley Nelson

Patient Experience Journal

This investigation evaluates the impact of learners and their post-graduate year (PGY) levels on patient satisfaction in the orthopedic outpatient clinic, an area with limited prior research. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from July 2020 to December 2022, involving 2,484 patients, with a 39% response rate. Satisfaction was measured via NRC Health surveys, focusing on the likelihood of recommending the provider or clinic based on the presence of learners, categorized as none, present in the clinic, or involved in patient care. Non-parametric statistical analysis revealed significant reductions in satisfaction when learners were involved in care, with top-box …