Even as a care provider, you are a patient from time to time. When you’re receiving care, however, your experience is probably very different from the experiences of regular patients. Patients don’t have your experience in the world of healthcare, and that can often make their experience receiving care a bit more challenging.

The patient experience is a critical element of healthcare, and it’s garnering more and more attention from care providers who recognize its importance. When considering how to provide the best care for your patients, it’s important to take the patient experience into consideration. More specifically, how can you as a care provider make your patients more empowered to receive the full benefits of healthcare?

Healthcare providers are beginning to place great importance on the personal side of care, and that is a worthy endeavor, but empowering patients can have an even more profound effect on the patient experience.

As a healthcare provider, one of the best ways you can empower your patients is to make them aware of their patient rights and encourage their use. Encouraging patients to exercise their patient rights is a great way to get them actively involved in their healthcare.

Just as patients are often unsure as to what their patient rights are, many providers struggle to come up with practical steps they can teach their patients to help them exercise their rights.

This is all simpler than it might sound at first, though, since encouraging patients to exercise their rights revolves around these principles:

• Research
• Diligence
• Resolve

The first step you can take to help your patients exercise their rights begins with research. As their trusted healthcare provider, your patients trust your recommendations for their care. However, it’s good practice to suggest they do some of their own research into modes of care.

This not only gets them thinking more about their healthcare, it also makes them an active participant in the care they receive. A more informed patient is a better patient. Encourage your patients to research better options for their care, and then provide them with your professional opinion to help them get the most out of their healthcare.

The second way you can help your patients is to offer them steady encouragement. With your inside knowledge of the world of healthcare, you can encourage them to stay diligent in pursuing care that aligns with their rights as patients. While “care” is an inherent quality of healthcare, there are varying degrees of commitment to quality care within healthcare. Therefore, help your patients remain diligent in exercising their patient rights and receiving the care they deserve.

A practical way of doing this is to encourage your patients to look for reviews on specialists or other care providers they might see.

Make sure you tell them to look for other care providers who have positive reviews from patients, specifically highlighting a record of treating patients with dignity and respect. Your inside expertise will go a long way with your patients in encouraging them to stay diligent.

The third step you should take deals with cost-effectiveness. Patients are always happy if they can find ways to save money on their healthcare. Encourage your patients in their resolve to find cost-effective care. Make sure to communicate the importance of finding quality care at a reasonable rate.

Helping your patients find cost-effective options for their care will help them trust you even more, and it will allow you a common opportunity to help them have a better patient experience and exercise their rights.

As a care provider, you’re always considering your patients and their health. It’s time to start considering their experiences with healthcare. Empowering patients to exercise their patient rights is one of the most effective ways to help improve their patient experiences.

When considering your patients’ rights and experiences, consider Iowa City Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC). Our team of healthcare providers are committed to helping patients receive the best care possible, all while honoring their rights. If you’re looking for ways to help your patients become even more empowered, consider Iowa City ASC.