Patient Experience Framework in the works

Building off its Patient Engagement Framework, the National eHealth Collaborative (NeHC) has begun work on a collaborative effort to develop a Patient Experience Framework. 

“There is no question that patient engagement in eHealth has become a priority because it will lead to more effective partnerships between patients and their providers and better outcomes,” said NeHC CEO Kate Berry, in a release.

The new Patient Experience Framework will help clarify what it means to meaningfully engage patients, according to the organization.

In 2012, NeHC collaborated with more than 150 leading healthcare and health IT thought leaders to develop its Patient Engagement Framework. This next phase will address consumer and patient engagement strategies on behalf of the patient. NeHC will begin the work by asking, “What experience does a patient want to have with their healthcare providers, health system, health records and health education?”

The patient personas that anchor the new framework will define how various patients might interact with their healthcare providers, system, records or education, including their assumptions, motivations and expectations. This will help providers assess the types of consumers they currently address with their engagement strategies, what types of consumers they would like to address going forward and where to invest to accomplish their goals. It will also help those who support healthcare to identify who they would like to impact and where they can make valuable new investments in technology and other services. 

NeHC plans to map the Patient Experience Framework to the Patient Engagement Framework, so that together the frameworks will provide clarity for stakeholders from multiple perspectives and help the community as a whole continue progress.

Led by Leslie Kelly Hall, senior vice president of policy at Healthwise and NeHC board member, NeHC and Healthwise have launched a consumer-led process to develop the new Patient Engagement Framework. Hall also led NeHC’s work on the original Patient Engagement Framework.

NeHC is conducting research it expects to complete early in 2014. In November and December, NeHC will host webinars to help stakeholders understand the personas, discuss feedback received to date and contribute their experiences to the research.

NeHC expects to make the following available:

• A Patient Experience Framework that is more personal, approachable and friendly, developed using patient personas and designed to serve as a companion to the Patient Engagement Framework
• Journey Maps that depict how specific personas think, feel, act, experience and interact with their providers, health system, health records and education that supports their health
• A published research report that will include a guide for healthcare communities, providers, health systems and other stakeholders to inform their strategies and investments
• A roadmap for future Patient Engagement Framework gaps and next steps based upon the findings