Challenge
OhioHealth, a leading healthcare system serving Central Ohio, recognized an opportunity to reimagine the experience within its emergency departments (ED). While satisfaction scores were trending lower, and anecdotal feedback pointed to a changing experience, OhioHealth sought a deeper understanding of the factors impacting patient care. With 14 emergency departments ranging from large, urban facilities in Columbus to smaller critical access hospitals, the challenge was to reimagine the emergency department experience across this diverse network, delivering more empathetic and patient-centered care. OhioHealth leaned on the human-centered design expertise of Cast & Hue to lead the approach to this challenge.
Approach
Cast & Hue recommended a three-pronged approach:
- Uncovering key challenges through patient journey mapping
- Co-creating solutions using design thinking
- Developing and executing a vision for the new experience
Patient journey mapping workshops included patients, family members, care teams, and staff to collaboratively map the emergency department experience. Patients were segmented by acuity, recognizing that their experience varied based on their presenting condition. Workshops were conducted at multiple locations, from downtown Columbus to suburban and rural areas, providing a comprehensive view of friction points, defining moments, and the emotional landscape of the patient and family journey.
Analysis of these journeys identified key moments to focus on in the design thinking phase. Three defining moments—arrival, waiting, and discharge—were prioritized for co-creation.
Design thinking workshops brought together patients, staff, and OhioHealth leaders to co-create solutions for these critical touchpoints. Over 100 ideas were generated and tested by participants. Next, Cast & Hue and OhioHealth collaborative prioritized ideas based on their impact as well as feasibility. One notable outcome was the creation of a "comfort cart," which was later implemented across the emergency departments in the OhioHealth system.
Based on these insights, Cast & Hue developed a comprehensive experience strategy outlining the ideal patient experience. This vision was documented in an experience blueprint and implemented throughout the organization.
Outcome
As a result of this work, OhioHealth developed a truly patient & family-centered approach to their emergency department experience. As this new approach was implemented, significant improvements in patient satisfaction scores were observed.
- Up to 6 6-point increase in “likelihood to recommend” scores
- 5.1 point increase in “informed about delays” score
- Up to 7.6 point increase in one ED’s “comfort of waiting area” score
- Over 4 point increase in “helpfulness of first-person encountered” scores
As OhioHealth continues to implement and hone new ideas, we expect to see continued improvement for the patients who seek care at OhioHealth.
