Healthcare Leadership Insights for Transforming Patient and Workforce Experience

Introduction

Patient experience now stands as a vital financial and strategic imperative, going far beyond simple satisfaction scores. Emerging research consistently links enhanced patient experience to improved financial performance, operational efficiency, and clinical quality, underscoring its importance for organizational growth and resilience.^1,2

Amid growing financial pressures, workforce burnout, technological disruption, and persistent disparities in outcomes, leaders in health and care seek transformed patient and workforce experiences rather than simple operational fixes. True progress requires purposeful attention to human connection, coordinated leadership, and practical system changes to create care experiences that support both providers and receivers of care.

To explore the evolving nature of patient experience, the editorial team of The Journal of Patient Experience conducted in-depth interviews with 21 healthcare leaders in varying roles, organizations, settings, and geographies (Appendix 1). In these conversations, interviewees working to improve patient experience revealed challenges they face and some strategies they use to address them.

These interviews revealed three main interdependent priorities that participants felt healthcare leaders must address to transform the health and care experience:

framing workforce engagement as foundational;

reimagining better experiences and outcomes for all; and

harnessing innovations in technology and experience measurement.

An examination of participants’ approaches to these three priorities offers practical insights that can guide leaders as they navigate the complex challenges and opportunities shaping the future of patient experience. Interspersed within the various sections of this article are quotations from interview participants.

Priority 1: Framing Workforce Engagement as Foundational

“We’re giving people the space to refill their empathy banks, so they can deliver empathy every day they come to work.” — Patient experience executive, large multi-hospital system

The interview quotation above highlights how strengthening workforce engagement is an essential starting point for any meaningful and lasting improvement in patient experience. Engaging the workforce and mitigating burnout are critical priority areas for advancing multiple domains of health and care—including patient experience, quality, safety, and financial metrics. The National Academy of Medicine has reported on systemic issues influencing clinician well-being, emphasizing that burnout undermines patient satisfaction and organizational sustainability. ³ Research shows that intentional, ongoing, organization-wide initiatives to address burnout and foster engagement can drive meaningful improvement. ⁴

Interview participants consistently emphasized that when staff feel valued, supported, and aligned with their organization's mission, they are better equipped to provide compassionate, high-quality care. Interviewees recognized that investing in workforce engagement is not just a human resource priority but a financial imperative as well, since it directly influences quality of care, patient loyalty, and organizational sustainability. For example, one interviewee raised the common discussion point of return-on-investment (ROI): “Your real ROI is in engaged employees…one of the most expensive bad outcomes in healthcare now is staff turnover.”

Although many participants agreed about the importance of workforce engagement initiatives, they also noted the challenges of building a sense of sustained purpose across large organizations. One interviewee raised critical questions, such as, “How do you continually inform and engage the workforce to have [an] understanding of where we're going, why we're going there, and how they can contribute?” Additionally, another executive expressed concerns about workforce supply and burnout, stating, “We can’t churn out enough providers fast enough.” Another participant noted that “you have to have an engaged workforce. You have to make sure that the staff has [a space to recharge], because healthcare is hard.”

In their efforts to address these challenges, several participants cited examples of initiatives they have implemented to enable better workforce engagement. For example, efforts mentioned included 1) intentional use of positive patient feedback, 2) stakeholder inclusion, and 3) specific programs such as Code Lavender and Just Culture.

The first of these, intentional use of patient feedback, was suggested as a strategy for improving staff morale. Engagement deepens when staff understands the impact of their work and feel heard. Offering feedback to members of the workforce helps staff see their positive impact. One clinical interviewee encouraged using patient comments to inspire fellow clinicians: “Comments to clinicians can actually improve provider well-being. … Most of the patient comments are very positive.” Research findings support the value of using patient feedback, as noted in a 2021 study by Brennan and Wendt: when nurses were empowered through meaningful feedback loops, including patient stories and staff-led planning, their engagement increased significantly, leading to higher autonomy and a greater sense of impact. ⁵

Broad stakeholder inclusion in planning and improvement efforts was mentioned as a second critical approach for improving workforce engagement. One executive leader described their use of “big room planning,” a special meeting conducted periodically to engage staff in improvement efforts. By convening representatives from multiple departments, levels, and disciplines in a shared physical or virtual space, this executive has fostered engagement through shared planning, alignment, and problem-solving. Another interviewee explained interdisciplinary rounding as a strategy to promote broad stakeholder engagement. Interdisciplinary rounding convenes small groups of healthcare professionals from different disciplines (physicians, nurses, pharmacists, social workers, case managers, therapists, and others) in patient care discussions, often conducted at the patient's bedside or in a conference room. Research findings support the involvement of stakeholders, as noted in a recent study on interdisciplinary bedside rounds that demonstrated significantly improved patient and staff experiences. Patients in the study reported better communication and felt more involved in their own care, while healthcare team members experienced higher satisfaction and improved collaboration. ⁶

Several interview participants referred to specific programs like Code Lavender and Just Culture, which have shown measurable positive effects on workforce well-being and engagement. For example, studies show that nearly 70% of nurses report that Code Lavender, a rapid-response emotional support intervention, exerts immediate benefits to healthcare workers following acute stress events, offering debriefing, mindfulness exercises, and peer support. ⁷ Meanwhile, research shows that Just Culture frameworks, implemented across multiple healthcare organizations, emphasize learning over blame, encourage open reporting, and promote fair accountability. ⁸ These practices foster psychological safety, supporting staff to engage more fully, report near-misses, and participate in continuous improvement.

Despite the complexities impacting workforce and patient experience, the interview participants believed that practical strategies of incorporating feedback, stakeholder inclusion, and specific programs represent promising opportunities to cultivate a sense of purpose and connection.

Priority 2: Reimagining Better Experiences and Outcomes for All

“Can we look at the community and prevent diseases from occurring? … If one part of the journey is horrific, it tars the rest of the journey's experience.” — Public health system executive

The second priority spells out the urgent need to reimagine health and care systems to ensure accessible and effective services for all. As highlighted by the featured quotation above, prioritizing care across populations enables the spirit of innovation and humanism across experiences of health and care. Achieving this vision requires substantial and structured investment to address gaps shaped by geography, community context, education, income, financial resources, gender, and physical or cognitive challenges. A recent World Health Organization report stresses that the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age, along with their access to resources and opportunities, greatly influence the existence of avoidable gaps in health outcomes. ⁹

In their aspirations to enhance access, several participants cited examples of initiatives they have implemented to enable better experiences and outcomes across a range of demographic populations. For example, discussed themes included 1) language access services, 2) community-based approaches, and 3) systemic redesign.

One of the most immediate ways health systems improve population health is by addressing language access. A chief experience officer raised questions such as “What is the preferred language?” or “Do they have interpreters who understand cultural context?” They explained that efforts aim not only to improve communication but also to recognize individual circumstances and reduce disparities in care outcomes, particularly for readmissions. Their organization offers tailored materials, language services, and standardized protocols to support engagement, minimize bias, and promote fairness. Similarly, a patient experience executive at a large Midwestern health system critiqued the industry norm where “The people who control the (language service) device are the clinical team, not the person who actually needs it.” They described a recent initiative to reduce language barriers by placing interpreter devices at the bedside, enabling patients to access language support on their own. This direct access reduced communication delays, eased the burden on clinical staff, and helped deliver more responsive care. Research underscores the importance of addressing individual needs such as language services. For instance, a systematic review found that 76% of studies reported at least one improved outcome when patients received language-concordant care. ¹⁰

More than half of the interviewees specifically discussed how engagement efforts nonetheless must shift beyond targeted project-based efforts such as language services and instead focus on a community-based approach to meet the sociodemographic needs of the people we serve. For example, an interviewee from a large public health system emphasized the importance of investing in local communities to reduce the need for advanced hospital-based interventions. Other participants also supported the need for a holistic view of patient experience across the entire care continuum, from primary care to social services, rather than isolated departmental improvements.

From a specific focus on programs like language services to a shift toward community-based approaches, participants highlighted aspirations for systemic change. Reimagining healthcare around the needs sustainable health can generate broad benefits, as one leader noted: “The most scalable or important problem to address is to actually improve the human experience.” To address needs more broadly, a physician leader said that we must redesign healthcare delivery, so we are not “sending [patients] home if they don’t have access to basic things.” To enable redesign and more community-based approaches, one senior research analyst noted the need for integrated data and efforts. Several participants pointed toward siloed work streams that often limit progress toward health outcomes and create missed opportunities for more inclusive care.

Experience leaders have a unique opportunity to close this gap. As noted by Sylvie Leotin (MS, MS, CEO, Equify Health), “solving for the needs of those most dehumanized by the health system, we create solutions that lift care for all.” By investing in the design, implementation, and transparent evaluation of equity-focused initiatives, leaders can not only improve outcomes for marginalized populations but also generate the evidence needed to scale best practices across the system. We must move beyond aspirational language and demonstrate, with data, what engaged inclusive care truly looks like.

Priority 3: Harnessing Innovations in Technology and Experience Measurement

“You can’t just throw tools at bad systems. AI will only help if workflows and expectations are reimagined.” —Physician leader, Large academic health system

Modern healthcare stands at a critical intersection where technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), telehealth, and sophisticated data collection tools offer major opportunities to strengthen patients’ experiences of health and care. Yet, recent publications demonstrate that technology remains unlikely to replace empathy, presence, and trust. The human touch must remain central to patient care, even in a digitally enabled environment. ¹¹

Many interviewees were eager to reflect on the intersections of innovation and patient experience. Perspectives from interviewees centered on themes such as 1) a focus on consumerism, 2) optimism regarding improved access and care, balanced with caution regarding the value of human connection, and 3) goals to improve experience measurement and patient feedback mechanisms.

The rapid adoption of technology aligns with evolving consumer expectations, as one participant noted: “Patients are patients, but they’re also consumers with wants and needs.” Demand continues to grow for convenient, 24/7 access and virtual care options such as asynchronous messaging and on-demand urgent care, highlighting the ongoing shift toward a more consumer-centered approach to healthcare. Today, organizations increasingly use digital access, telehealth, and AI-powered tools to streamline care and enhance real-time communication between patients and providers. According to the American Medical Association, the consumerization of healthcare, alongside expanded access and big-data applications, is one of the three digital health trends transforming patient care. ¹² Therefore, improving the modern patient experience depends on prioritizing the adoption of consumer-centric technology.

Most interviewees expressed cautious optimism about the role of AI and digital tools in addressing workforce challenges, enhancing access to care, and improving operational efficiency. Technology-driven innovations, when thoughtfully deployed, have the potential to reduce friction for patients and providers. For example, one interviewee described a successful virtual nursing model that allows remote nurses to manage complex admission and discharge processes while improving safety and reducing medication errors, a system that has significantly elevated patient experience scores at their institution. Another participant felt hopeful about tech innovations such as “just having the ability to use AI to translate anything that we need translated … will be exceptionally helpful.”

Despite many examples of positive outcomes from digital innovations, several interviewees expressed skepticism and warned that technology can create additional burdens if not paired with adequate support. One leader at a large health system was concerned that the healthcare industry is “putting more technology in the hands of patients … but we haven’t built a support model for when the technology doesn’t work or how to educate them.”

To address the potential harms of rapid adoption of innovations, participants stressed the importance of intentional design when integrating technology to ensure it aligns with both clinical operations and patient needs. One interviewee noted with concern that many innovations “are led by tech [companies] and not necessarily meeting the needs of clinicians or patients,” adding that solutions should be “led by healthcare and supported by tech.” Another participant echoed this view, cautioning against introducing advanced tools without first redesigning the systems they are meant to support. Ultimately, participants agreed that meaningful impact comes from using technology as a tool within well-designed systems, not as a layer added to existing dysfunction.

Expanding the conversation to focus innovation specifically on experience measurement and data analytics, several interviewees expressed frustration that traditional patient experience survey tools fail to capture the nuance, timeliness, and complexity of patient and staff experiences. As one participant explained, “There's a growing recognition about the complexity of patient experience … that we can’t necessarily just refine it down to one number.” Another participant had concerns about excessive surveying, noting that it often serves financial interests (such as meeting regulatory requirements or maintaining reimbursement thresholds) rather than driving meaningful quality improvement: “You do not need to survey every patient, and you do not need results every day or even every month.”

To creatively address gaps in traditional feedback approaches, organizations are exploring more dynamic methods. One executive, for example, uses social media–based platforms that allow patients to share feedback through their regular outlets (like Facebook) rather than depending solely on a standard survey. Another chief experience leader recently adopted the customer effort score (CES), a tool that measures how easy or difficult it is for patients to navigate the healthcare system and get their needs met. CES surveys typically ask patients to rate the degree of effort needed to schedule appointments, get questions answered, access test results, arrange follow-up care, and complete other tasks. Originally developed in customer service industries like retail and telecom, CES is gaining traction as a meaningful patient experience metric in healthcare settings.

Participants cited other evolutions in experience measurement, such as real-time digital platforms, social listening, and crowdsourcing. Real-time digital platforms enable healthcare teams to collect and analyze patient feedback immediately after care interactions, allowing for quicker responses and continuous improvement. Social listening involves monitoring public online spaces such as social media, forums, and review sites to gain insights into patient perceptions and concerns in their own words. Crowdsourcing invites input, ideas, and experiences from a broad group of patients or community members to inform service design and quality initiatives.

Although participants enthusiastically discussed innovations in measuring experience, several warned that data, no matter how advanced, cannot substitute for genuine human listening. As one interviewee stated, “There's nothing better than data to help drive decisions, but that doesn’t get you off the hook for listening.” They underscored the importance of patient stories in complementing data and preventing its misuse: “Sometimes when you come at people with data, it almost feels weaponized … instead of coming with a real story.”

Interviewees repeatedly emphasized that technology must complement, not replace, human connection, empathy, and trust. As one interviewee noted, “Innovation in patient experience is really what it always has been. It's how people treat people.” As new innovations in experience measurement emerge, participants stressed the importance of translating data into actionable insights that inform daily operations.

Practical Recommendations

Based on insights gathered from these interviews, Table 1 presents a series of recommendations to guide strategic thinking across the three priority areas. While valuable, the recommendations summarized in the table should be viewed as starting points within broader, ongoing efforts at change.

Table 1.

Practical Recommendations.

Priority 1: Framing Workforce Engagement as Foundational
Use patient feedback as a positive engagement tool	Share real patient comments with staff to reinforce their value and impact. Incorporate into huddles, newsletters, and recognition programs.
Implement stakeholder-inclusive improvement practices	Use inclusive approaches like “big room planning” and interdisciplinary rounding to engage staff in decision-making and problem-solving.
Offer emotional and psychological support programs	Adopt initiatives like Code Lavender (emotional support) and Just Culture (a nonpunitive learning environment) to support staff well-being.

Priority 2: Reimagining Better Experiences and Outcomes for All
Expand language access and culturally concordant care	Provide interpreter access at the bedside and culturally relevant materials to improve patient engagement and patient outcomes.
Invest in community-based partnerships	Collaborate with local organizations to address social drivers of health and provide wraparound support beyond clinical settings.
Integrate work streams	Bridge siloed efforts by aligning patient experience and operational teams to share data, codesign solutions, and evaluate outcomes.

Priority 3: Harnessing Innovations in Technology and Experience Measurement
Redesign workflows before adding technology	Ensure technologies (eg, AI, telehealth) are embedded in workflows that support patient and staff needs without adding friction.
Diversify experience measurement tools	Use modern feedback tools such as real-time digital platforms, CES, social listening, and crowdsourcing to capture and act on experience.
Translate data into actionable insights	Create systems that convert patient experience data into practical actions for frontline improvement and quality initiatives.

Conclusion

Across the interviews, healthcare leaders consistently pointed to three interdependent priorities: 1) framing workforce engagement as foundational by investing in purposeful leadership and the well-being and professional development of workers; 2) reimagining better experiences and outcomes by redesigning care and dismantling organizational silos; and 3) harnessing innovations in technology and experience measurement by ensuring that digital innovations enhance rather than replace human connection while generating actionable insights to drive improvement. The findings of this project generated offer critical insights, not quick fixes. Every healthcare leader has a role to play in translating these principles into daily practice. Real progress demands sustained leadership, intentional design, cross-functional collaboration, and long-term investment.