2011 Empathy and Innovation Summit Recap

Thank you to the more than 700 people who attended the second annual Patient Experience Empathy and Innovation Summit on May 22-24 at the InterContinental Hotel & Conference Center on Cleveland Clinic's campus in Cleveland, Ohio. Attendees came from 37 states, 6 countries and 239 hospitals, healthcare systems and businesses.

Separate breakout sessions were featured on Sunday, May 22 including "Social Media in Healthcare" and "Complexities and Connections of Caregivers." The Social Media session highlighted how to use the latest social media platforms to engage patients by developing relationships and building trust, as well as service recovery techniques and measuring the effectiveness of social media campaigns. The Let's Move It! Mobile App was also highlighted to demonstrate a creative way to engage the community in a fun wellness initiative.

The "Complexities and Connections of Caregivers" session demonstrated the importance of empathetic care through active listening and relationship-building with patients. Discussions about end-of-life care focused on the necessity to balance cost, quality and time.

Dr. Cosgrove emphasized the importance of transparency and the need to share not only what your hospital does well, but also about its challenges so solutions can be identified and shared, and improvements can be made.

The "Business of Patient Experience" session featured a panel discussion on how to cultivate a patient-centered culture as businesses do to build customer service. Dr Feinberg said, "I have never met a patient or family member who doesn't deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. Our goal is to make sure every patient is treated as a member of our family."

We heard from several former Cleveland Clinic patients, including Plain Dealer columnist Regina Brett, who presented her "View from the Gown," and said, "What patients want is a true genuine moment with you, a connection." Cardiovascular patient and actor Robby Benson gave an animated and energetic presentation about the importance of taking care of the patient as well as the patient's family. We also heard Dr. Tallman's inspiring patient experience as he relied on humor and family support during his recovery from a spinal cord injury.

There were some great panel discussions about managing patient expectations, practical ways to improve HCAHPS scores, the impact of technology on the patient experience, the effect of arts and environment on healing, employee engagement and much more. Session summaries will be posted on this site soon so please check back for more information.

In addition, attendees were invited to join the Association for Patient Experience, a nonprofit, 501c(3) organization established to support healthcare professionals, patients and their families.

Save the Date for 2012

Save the date now for the 2012 Empathy and Innovation Summit,
which will be held in Cleveland on May 20-22, 2012.