Strategies Healthcare Leaders Use to Improve Patient Experience to Enhance Hospital Performance

Healthcare leaders in the United States are confronted with challenges related to patient experience and overall hospital performance. Concerns about poor patient experiences are linked to suboptimal clinical outcomes and diminished business performance within the healthcare environment. Grounded in the appreciative inquiry theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore the effective strategies that healthcare leaders in U.S. hospitals providing acute inpatient care used to improve patient experience and enhance hospital performance. The participants were five healthcare leaders from the Midwest, Southeast, Southwest, and Western regions of the United States, each with a record of successfully implementing strategies to improve both patient experience and hospital performance. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and publicly available documentation, which were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic coding and analysis. Four themes were identified through reflexive thematic analysis: (a) leadership-driven strategies, (b) data-informed strategies, (c) hospital performance strategies, and (d) patient experience strategies. A key recommendation for healthcare leaders is to integrate leadership-driven strategies, data-informed approaches, and patient-centered care initiatives to effectively improve patient experience and enhance hospital performance. The implications for positive social change include enhancing individual well-being and providing better patient care within communities.