Public Health Commons^™

What Patients Wear Matters: Evidence On Adaptive Hospital Wear, Dignity, And Care Experience, Akhilesh Kumar, Sukhvir Singh

Patient Experience Journal

Traditional hospital gowns can compromise dignity, comfort, and care efficiency by prioritizing procedural access over the lived experience of hospitalization. This narrative review synthesizes interdisciplinary literature published between 2000 and 2025 across patient experience research, nursing, medical textiles, apparel design, and disability studies, with searches conducted in Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Across settings, evidence indicates that patient-centered hospital wear—using breathable and antimicrobial textiles, ergonomic closure systems (eg, hook-and-loop, magnetic snaps, modular access flaps), and inclusive sizing—can reduce unwanted exposure, improve perceived dignity and autonomy, simplify dressing for patients and caregivers, and support clinical access when aligned with …

Unlocking Healthcare Navigation: Key Tasks, Challenges, And Facilitators – A Narrative Review, John Zaki

Patient Experience Journal

Background: Healthcare is a complex and costly system that often creates distressing experiences for individuals managing their own or their family's health. Introduced in the United States around 1990 to reduce healthcare disparities, healthcare navigation aims to support patients and caregivers in navigating healthcare systems effectively and efficiently. This review explores the scope and importance of healthcare navigation services across clinical settings. Methods: This narrative review was informed by a broader literature search conducted as part of the author's thesis work, which included database searches, grey literature exploration, and manual screening of key medical journals. However, all studies that met …

Navigating Emergency Care: Understanding Older Adults' Experiences At The Kingston Health Sciences Centre, Nilany Thanabalasinham, Susan A. Bartels, Melanie Walker

Patient Experience Journal

Objectives: Older adults (65+) in Ontario have the highest emergency department (ED) visit rates, yet often face delayed care and unmet healthcare needs. This study investigates how older adults perceive and navigate their ED care experiences at the Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC), compared to younger adults and identifies factors driving their positive and negative care experiences. Methods: A secondary mixed-methods analysis was conducted using cross-sectional data on ED care experiences at the KHSC. Qualitative data included anonymously recorded micronarratives describing participants' ED experiences. Quantitative data included patients' numerical interpretations of their shared experiences through sensemaking triad questions. Quantitative descriptive …

Partnering With Patients: Perspectives Of Doctors, Nurses, And Managers Regarding Patient Participation And Feedback In Hospital Settings In Jamaica, Camelia Thompson, Desmalee Holder Nevins, Dawn Walters, Cameal Chin-Bailey, Elon Thompson, Minerva Thame, Kenneth James

Patient Experience Journal

This study assesses the perspective of doctors and nurses regarding participation of patients in care delivery and explores perspectives of managers on patient feedback mechanisms in two Jamaican hospitals. A mixed-methods convergent parallel design study was employed. The quantitative component involved a cross-sectional survey of 328 doctors and nurses, selected through stratified random sampling, using a self-administered questionnaire assessing patient participation. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 17 senior managers, which were analyzed thematically. Quantitative and qualitative findings were integrated during interpretation. The majority of respondents (90.8%) reported that they very often or always respected and encouraged patient …

Understanding Patient And Family Experience In Pediatric Hemato-Oncology: A Cross-Sectional Study From Morocco, Boujemaa El Marnissi, Sanae Bouramdane, Moussa Benboubker, Fouad Abbas, Salma Chahid, Jalal Dahmani, Khalid Moubtahij, Kenza Elmkadem, Sarra Benmiloud

Patient Experience Journal

Background. Patient- and family-reported experience is a vital indicator of healthcare quality, particularly in pediatric hematology-oncology. This study assessed patient- and family-reported experience and identified its sociodemographic, clinical, and organizational determinants in a newly established pediatric hemato-oncology department of a tertiary university hospital in Morocco. Methods. A cross-sectional survey was conducted between November 2023 and January 2024. Experience was assessed using a validated multidimensional questionnaire covering reception and access, information and communication, human and relational aspects of care, therapeutic management and pain control, accommodation conditions, and logistical and administrative processes. Sociodemographic and clinical variables were collected; bivariate analyses and multivariate …

Challenges Of Family Members Of Admitted Patients In Relationship With Medical Staff In Kurdistan Region: Cross-Sectional Study, Khalid Khudhur Faris, Zuhair Rushdi Mustafa, Hadi Haji Hussain, Ibrahim Baker Khudida, Deldar Morad Abdulah

Patient Experience Journal

Families often play a significant role in advocating for and supporting their patients during illness or hospitalization. Understanding the challenges between family members of patients and medical staff is crucial for improving communication, patient care, and the overall healthcare experience. This study aimed to investigate and understand the challenges and difficulties experienced by family members when dealing with the medical staff. This cross-sectional study conducted at a local teaching hospital in Kurdistan Region. A total of 400 family members of admitted patients from various medical departments were included in this study. Companions reported generally positive interactions with healthcare providers (HCPs). …

Parallel Realities: A Narrative Review Of Differences Between Patients And Their Care Providers, Umair Majid, Hazeema Haq, Ziyad Yahmad

Patient Experience Journal

Differences in how patients and healthcare providers perceive, experience, and deliver care can undermine patient-centered care and health outcomes. Yet, few syntheses have examined these divergences as a primary focus. This narrative review aimed to identify and synthesize evidence on the differences between patients and their providers in terms of priorities, expectations, and experiences of care, and to explore how these differences can potentially influence relationships and outcomes. A database search was conducted to identify English-language studies published from January 2019 to January 2025 that included both patients and providers in the same sample and compared their perspectives. Data from …

Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Familial Caregivers To Individuals With Prader-Willi Syndrome: The Impact Of Caregiver Burden, Louisa Williams, Eden Morley

Patient Experience Journal

Caregiver burden (CB) is an under-researched topic among familial caregivers (parents, siblings, aunts, uncles and grandparents) supporting someone with Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS). CB is defined as the physical and mental toll resulting from caring for someone with additional needs, which has not yet been explored in PWS familial caregivers. PWS causes hyperphagia (insatiable hunger) and violent behaviours that can be hard to manage. Research demonstrates primary caregivers have a decreased quality of life and increased mental health (MH) problems, with quantitative literature highlighting the risk of CB. This study aimed to qualitatively highlight the experiences of CB in familial caregivers …

Information Continuity And Experiences Of Mental Healthcare: A Conceptual Framework, Timothy Kariotis, Megan Prictor, Kathleen Gray, Shanton Chang

Patient Experience Journal

Objectives: Information continuity is a key element of continuity of care and service users' experience of care. However, models of continuity of care have not considered how to operationalise information continuity and balance it with service users' privacy concerns. The aim of this paper was to develop a conceptual framework of the information practices that contribute to service users' experience of information continuity in the mental healthcare system. Methods: We undertook a narrative review to identify studies on service users' experiences of mental healthcare and analysed them using a thematic synthesis method to identify the information practices of care professionals …

Health Information For Patients And Families: Sources, Data Types, And Tools For Evaluating Accessibility, Preeti Pandey, Richard I. Zraick, Vinaya Manchaiah

Patient Experience Journal

This review summarizes key sources and formats of health information for patients and families, and outlines tools used to evaluate their accessibility. Health information appears across online and offline platforms in formats such as text, images, and video. Evaluation tools assess dimensions like readability, accuracy, quality, suitability, and actionability, though they vary in validity and scope. This paper offers guidance for healthcare professionals and researchers aiming to improve the accessibility and effectiveness of patient-facing health materials.

When Decision-Making Styles Do Not Predict Communication Preferences: Rethinking Personalization In Healthcare Experience, Victoria Sze Min Ekstrom

Patient Experience Journal

Background: Healthcare systems increasingly attempt to personalize risk communication by matching messages to patients' decision-making styles. This approach is resource intensive, yet evidence that it improves patient experience or decision quality remains limited. Methods: We conducted a cross-cultural experimental study with adults from the UK (n=330, recruited via Prolific) and Singapore (n=220, recruited via professional networks). Participants viewed three healthcare scenarios with risks of 1%, 10%, and 20%, presented in either positive (``99% no complications'') or negative (``1% complications'') frames displayed side-by-side in randomized order. Decision-making styles were assessed using the Control Preferences Scale, categorizing participants as information-seeking, shared decision-making, …

Reflections On Factors That Led To A Dehydration Hospitalization: Lived Experience To Inform Systems Change For Nursing Home Residents, Lucas Kandia, Jodi Dunmeyer Stookey

Patient Experience Journal

This personal narrative describes a family's journey through a preventable dehydration crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic. When a 93-year-old nursing home resident tested positive for COVID-19, her family prepared for the worst. Instead, she nearly died from severe dehydration, not the virus, and was hospitalized for hypovolemic shock, only to be discharged four and a half days later, still COVID-positive, having recovered with rehydration alone. Medical documentation reveals deterioration from inadequate oral intake (300 mL per day) to pre-shock hypotension to frank shock (72/56 mmHg at 17:20), while oxygen saturation remained normal throughout. The admission diagnosis hierarchy (Acute Kidney Injury, …

15 October 2021: Living With The Consequences Of A Cardiac Event — A Patient Perspective, Bruce H. Knox

Patient Experience Journal

This first-person narrative explores the long-term consequences of a rare but catastrophic complication during a premature ventricular contraction (PVC) ablation, resulting in left ventricular rupture, acute cardiac tamponade, and emergency open-heart surgery. While the surgical intervention was life-saving, the subsequent years were marked by profound changes in autonomic function, multisystem instability, and a sustained alteration in quality of life. The account reflects on living with cardiac autonomic vulnerability before the event, the immediate crisis, and the prolonged recovery that followed—characterized not by restoration, but by renegotiation of capacity, identity, and participation. Particular emphasis is placed on the experience of navigating …

The Phantom Fifth Chair Of Patient Experience, Kathy Saldana

Patient Experience Journal

Over the past three years, the author has openly shared her journey as a certified patient experience professional facing triple negative breast cancer. The firsthand gravity of treatment became instantly apparent to her in the chemo chair. Resisting the temptation to crumble under the fear of it, she chose to view treatment as an unwanted yet precious opportunity to study her profession of patient experience from a deeply personal space. Determined not to waste the difficult long-term experience of treatment, she was compelled to write and speak about her convictions regarding the necessity of honoring patients by soliciting, documenting, believing, …

More Than A Buzzword: Why Trauma-Informed Care Needs Widespread Practice, Christine Lee Frost

Patient Experience Journal

This narrative illustrates the personal story about the difficulty of obtaining a diagnosis for endometriosis. As someone who endured a chaotic childhood, I struggled with complex trauma and medical issues for decades without understanding the connection between the two. In this narrative, I make a case for practicing trauma-informed care across the healthcare industry, and detail the statistics that show why it's so vital. While online communities can make ``trauma-informed care'' feel like just another trendy term, it's a concept with an abundance of data to back up the necessity for it. In addition to people living with mental illness, …

Consumer, Customer, Or Patient?... It's All About Context, Sven Gierlinger

Patient Experience Journal

Today's healthcare industry is at a pivotal juncture, navigating the complex intersection of traditional care delivery with rapidly evolving consumer expectations and unprecedented transparency. This personal narrative is intended to provide a nuanced, experience-driven framework for understanding the distinct yet interconnected roles of ``consumer,'' ``customer,'' and ``patient'' - vital for healthcare organizations striving to build trust and loyalty.

Human-Centered Quality: Reframing Quality Around What Matters To People, Vita Steina, Jason Wolf

Patient Experience Journal

Each encounter one has in healthcare is an experience. It is everything someone lives through. It is what they remember and all they perceive. It is their lasting story. When we see the experience one has in healthcare from that lens, then all the components that shape that story are parts of their experience. From this perspective, for as much as the clinical framing of experience as metrics on a survey has seen experience identified as a dimension of quality, we would suggest the opposite. Quality is but one part of the experience someone has in healthcare today. It is …

Affordability: A Critical Issue At The Heart Of Human Experience, Jason A. Wolf

Patient Experience Journal

Affordability is a human experience issue. One that reaches well beyond the edges of healthcare. In our current global economy, rising costs dominate the headlines. They weigh heavily on the pocketbooks of families around the world. Affordability may be no more prevalent than in healthcare. It too is the place where it may have the most significant and lasting impact.If we are willing to think of affordability as an experience issue, we can begin to address the solution in new ways. But it will require untangling years of wiring of how healthcare has operated to rewire what it can be. …

Beyond Screening In Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Domain-Standardized, Measure-Flexible Framework For Comprehensive Neuropsychological Assessment, Etiane Navarro

Archives of Assessment Psychology

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a multisystem neurodegenerative disorder in which cognitive, behavioral, language, and social-cognitive changes may occur across clinical phenotypes, including the ALS-frontotemporal spectrum. Neuropsychological assessment is important for characterizing nonmotor manifestations and identifying changes relevant to autonomy, everyday functioning, and clinical management. This systematic review examined literature identified through APA PsycINFO, PubMed, Google Scholar, and supplementary searching to characterize neuropsychological domains, measures, phenotype-related findings, and disease-specific limitations relevant to comprehensive assessment. Two hundred records underwent title and abstract screening, 150 reports were reviewed in full text, and 61 resources were retained for synthesis. ALS-specific screening instruments, including …

Beyond Screening In Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Domain-Standardized, Measure-Flexible Framework For Comprehensive Neuropsychological Assessment, Etiane Navarro

Archives of Assessment Psychology

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a multisystem neurodegenerative disorder in which cognitive, behavioral, language, and social-cognitive changes may occur across clinical phenotypes, including the ALS-frontotemporal spectrum. Neuropsychological assessment is important for characterizing nonmotor manifestations and identifying changes relevant to autonomy, everyday functioning, and clinical management. This systematic review examined literature identified through APA PsycINFO, PubMed, Google Scholar, and supplementary searching to characterize neuropsychological domains, measures, phenotype-related findings, and disease-specific limitations relevant to comprehensive assessment. Two hundred records underwent title and abstract screening, 150 reports were reviewed in full text, and 61 resources were retained for synthesis. ALS-specific screening instruments, including …

There's No Vision Like Low Vision: Living With And Serving Those With Macular Degeneration And Stargardt Macular Dystrophy, Paul B. Freeman Od

Optometric Clinical Practice

Book Review: Perski T, There's No Vision Like Low Vision: Living with and Serving Those with Macular Degeneration and Stargardt Macular Dystrophy, Inicio Press, 2025. 306 pages, Paperback, $14.99, ISBN 978-1-998315-48-2, Kindle $9.99 ISBN 978–1– 998315– 49–9

Next Steps In Advancing Pediatric Care In Southern Nevada, The Lincy Institute

Lincy Institute Events

The Lincy Institute released new research evaluating the Southern Nevada pediatric care ecosystem. The report, "An Evaluation of Southern Nevada’s Pediatric Care Ecosystem," offers recommendations to develop a stronger and more coordinated pediatric care ecosystem before the stand-alone children’s hospital being developed by Intermountain Health opens in 2030 and identifies the components of an integrated statewide network to provide all of Nevada’s children with access to high-quality care. The event also featured panel discussions with pediatric care providers and policymakers.

Panel 1 - Pediatric Care Providers

Moderator — Tina Quigley, Project Facilitator, The Lincy Institute

Panelists — Lisa …

An Evaluation Of Southern Nevada’S Pediatric Care Ecosystem, David Damore, Tina Quigley, Nick Fiore

Policy Briefs and Reports

In 2024, The Lincy Institute and the Nevada Health and Bioscience Corporation released a report prepared by the consulting firm Tripp Umbach detailing the case for a stand-alone children’s hospital in Southern Nevada. Shortly thereafter, Intermountain Health announced it would build Nevada’s first such facility in Las Vegas, expected to open in 2030. To complement the hospital’s development, The Lincy Institute undertook an independent evaluation of the regional pediatric care landscape. The analysis draws on secondary data and discussions with advocates, health system administrators, practitioners, and providers. The report examines:

• Fiscal, resource, and workforce challenges underlying Nevada’s poor population-level pediatric …

From Readiness To Transformation: The Mediating Role Of Digital Maturity In Linking Ai Readiness To Organizational Change In Hospitals, Muhammad Ryan Adi Putra, Giovanni Reynaldo, Dewi Sri Surya Wuisan

Journal of Health Research

Background: Organizational readiness is essential for AI-enabled digital transformation as healthcare organizations increasingly integrate artificial intelligence (AI). However, empirical evidence regarding the relationship between AI readiness and organizational change, the mediating role of digital maturity, remains limited in healthcare settings. This study investigated the mediating role of digital maturity in the relationship between AI readiness and organizational change.

Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 300 healthcare professionals from two Indonesian hospitals: Persahabatan Hospital (n = 165) and St. Carolus Hospital (n = 135). Data were collected using a questionnaire and analyzed through Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to assess …

E-Cigarette Awareness, Usage Patterns, And Sociodemographic Determinants Among Malaysians Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study, Izdihar Kamal, Nabilah Mohd Abd Wahab, Nurul Mawaddah Mohammad, Rashidi Ahmad, Muhammad Khalis Abdul Karim, Hatikahaty Mohd Diah, Munirah Ahmad Dahari, Nur Biha Mohamed Nafis, Mohd Faris Abdullah Sani, Sulayman Muhammad Kabeer, Nur Biha Mohamed Nafis, Juliana Mohd Radzi

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use among Malaysian adolescents is rising rapidly, raising significant public health concerns. This study assessed awareness, understanding of risk, and e-cigarette use among secondary school students in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, and identified sociodemographic predictors of use.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 323 students from three government secondary schools using a validated questionnaire. Data were then analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression.

Results: Nearly one-third (31.9%, N = 103) reported prior e-cigarette use. Although 63.2% (N = 204) demonstrated good awareness, only 14.6% (N = 47) understood associated health risks. Peers …

The Efficacy Of Transversus Abdominis Plane Block As An Adjunct To Spinal Anesthesia For Cesarean Delivery: An Evidence Synthesis And Implementation Toolkit, Alyssa Hebert, Alex Potts, Gabriela Robertson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Postoperative pain hinders cesarean delivery recovery and overall patient experience. Although spinal anesthesia with intrathecal opioids remains the standard of practice, associated side effects and concerns regarding opioid exposure highlight the need for effective opioid-sparing strategies. Anesthesia providers play a critical role in advancing postoperative pain management through evidence-based protocol development, provider education, and interdisciplinary collaboration to optimize maternal outcomes. The transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block provides somatic analgesia to the anterior abdominal wall by targeting the thoracolumbar nerves (T6–L1) and has increasingly been incorporated into multimodal postoperative pain management strategies for abdominal surgery. Nevertheless, a gap remains in obstetric …

``But What About Me?'': A Structural Redesign For Cascading Trust Into An Integrated Culture Of Care, Hazelin Hei Laam Ngan

Patient Experience Journal

In healthcare, patient experience (PX) and employee experience (EX) are often managed as separate priorities despite their interdependence. This article presents a case study from NYC Health + Hospitals/Community Care, a 250-person safety-net division providing home-based services across New York City. In response to frontline staff repeatedly asking, ``But what about me?'' when offered PX best practice suggestions, the organization integrated patient experience, staff engagement, and wellness into a unified Care Experience portfolio led by the Chief Experience Officer. From this structural redesign emerged a practical framework for trust-building organized around three pillars: Purpose, Presence, and Partnership. Purpose aligns staff …

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 …

Plan Of Day | Plan Of Stay: How Inter-Disciplinary Communication Improved Patient Experience And Hospital Throughput, Theresa Jean Dionne, Felicia Hurst, Danna Qunibi, Lauren Lazar, Sydney Mccurdy, Ashlyn Coenraad, Brittney Ward, Whitney Black, Ashley Nelson, Judd Salem, Luisa Restrepo

Patient Experience Journal

Background: Effective communication among healthcare team members is critical for delivering high-quality, patient- and family-centered care while optimizing hospital operations. This case study examines the implementation of a structured ``Plan of Day | Plan of Stay'' model, leveraging bedside whiteboards to enhance inter-disciplinary communication in a pediatric hospital setting. By providing a clear, visual summary of daily care plans, care team members, and discharge goals, whiteboards foster transparency, empower patients and families, and facilitate coordinated clinical decision-making. Purpose: This quality improvement initiative evaluated the implementation of a standardized Plan of Day | Plan of Stay communication model on a pediatric …

Patient Psychological Safety: A Qualitative Study Of Patient Experiences, Derick R. Simmons, Cheryl Rathert, Ryan Valayil, Maria Joseph, Ibraheem Jawadi

Patient Experience Journal

There is growing interest in understanding patients' experiences with psychological safety during healthcare encounters. Recent studies reveal that patients describe needing patient psychological safety (PPS) to form connections with their care providers, which are associated with better health outcomes. Therefore, it is critical to examine indicators of PPS. Using a phenomenological interpretive approach, this study utilized a patient narrative survey methodology to qualitatively explore how and why patients experience a lack of PPS during their healthcare encounters. We surveyed patients from across the U.S. and analyzed responses among a sub-sample of respondents to an open-ended question whose responses indicated they …