By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    physical health
    5 Ways Playing Games Can Improve Neural and Physical Health
    September 9, 2022
    Reasons For Hair Loss and Its Treatment
    Reasons For Hair Loss and Its Treatment
    February 16, 2022
    healthcare organization
    5 Actionable Strategies For Healthcare Organizations
    August 15, 2022
    Latest News
    Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
    May 16, 2025
    Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
    May 16, 2025
    Choosing the Right Supplement Manufacturer for Your Brand
    May 1, 2025
    Engineering Temporary Hospitals for Extreme Weather
    April 24, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    email marketing in healthcare
    Harnessing the Power of Email Marketing in Healthcare
    October 26, 2023
    healthcare claims
    The Role of Communication in Resolving Complex Workers’ Compensation Claims in Healthcare Settings
    September 22, 2024
    Wounds and Wisdom: What Motorcycle Accidents Teach Us About Health and Healing
    Wounds and Wisdom: What Motorcycle Accidents Teach Us About Health and Healing
    February 12, 2025
    Latest News
    Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
    May 18, 2025
    The Critical Role of Healthcare in Personal Injury Recovery: A Comprehensive Guide for Victims
    May 14, 2025
    The Backbone of Successful Trials: Clinical Data Management
    April 28, 2025
    Advancing Your Healthcare Career through Education and Specialization
    April 16, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: The Surprising Science Behind Patient Satisfaction
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Business > Hospital Administration > The Surprising Science Behind Patient Satisfaction
BusinessHospital Administration

The Surprising Science Behind Patient Satisfaction

Stewart Gandolf
Last updated: June 1, 2013 8:00 am
Stewart Gandolf
Share
4 Min Read
patient satisfaction
SHARE

patient satisfactionIt’s no surprise to any of us that we remember situations that have exceeded our expectations.

It’s that unexpected bit of delight or reward that we experienced at a (now favorite) restaurant, in seeing an entertaining movie, or even while doing a bit of retail shopping.

patient satisfactionIt’s no surprise to any of us that we remember situations that have exceeded our expectations.

It’s that unexpected bit of delight or reward that we experienced at a (now favorite) restaurant, in seeing an entertaining movie, or even while doing a bit of retail shopping.

More Read

OITNB
“Orange Is the New Black”: What Prisoners and Patients Have in Common
Opening Your Own Private Medical Practice in the Digital Age
How Big Data Hadoop Can Save Patients from a Crippling Healthcare System
Hospital Leadership
10 Reasons Your Claim Was Denied

For most patients, a “trip to the doctor’s office” doesn’t always make the “pleasantly-surprised-and-delighted” list. While a practitioner’s office is likely to deliver clinical excellence (as expected), the seemingly simple ingredient of surprise (as in customer service excellence) is often neglected.

But, when the office experience is unexpectedly exceptional, the patient satisfaction level goes through the roof, word-of-mouth and patient referrals often follow. The element of surprise is not difficult to include in the provider process, and it can be a powerful tools for physician marketing.

No doubt you know all of this intuitively. The most successful stores, restaurants and sales people have long recognized the business value of “the WOW factor.”  The “pleasantly surprised” quality or feeling that reaches out to us from clever commercials, cool electronic gadgets or unique events.

One thing, however, that may be surprising about “surprise” is that its roots and rationale are not whimsical, but firmly rooted in science and research. The Harvard Business Review published an excellent reference article in support of the idea that “surprise is probably the most powerful marketing tool of all.” In evidence, the article offered five reasons why…and each is a lesson that’s easily applied to medical marketing.

“Surprise is addictive. Surprise is like crack for your brain. Scientists at Emory and Baylor used MRIs to measure changes in human brain activity in response to a sequence of pleasurable stimuli. [The] reward pathways in the brain responded most strongly to the unpredictable [suggesting that] people are designed to crave the unexpected.

“Surprise changes behavior. Unexpected events, in particular, drive learning. Thinking in terms of desired consumer behavior can unlock innovative strategies. When developing an advertising campaign we are often too focused on the question of “What do we need to say?” Instead, we should focus on “What expectations do our customers and prospects hold, and how can we turn those on their head?”

“Surprise is cheap. Rather than attempt to beat the competition with epic production budgets and media plans, marketers should think about how to cram surprising brand stories into the smallest space possible. Consider how Virgin America infuses charm and creativity into this safety video.

“Surprise turbocharges emotions. Psychologist Robert Plutchik’s psychoevolutionary theory of emotion classifies our feelings into primary emotions. Surprise appears to amplify whatever you’re feeling. Combine happiness with surprise, and you hit the upper register of the feeling-good scale.

“Surprise fuels passionate relationships. The principles apply to business relationships. Marketers typically spend the bulk of their creative energy making themselves look attractive to potential customers. It’s easy to forget you need to look sexy and charming to your current ones to keep the spark alive.

How do you inject surprise and delight in patient encounters and (otherwise clinical) office visits? What can you do to break the routine and exceed expectations? Not surprisingly, there’s no standard formulary or procedural guidelines for “surprise and delight.” The answers found in your own creative application of principle of science.

 
TAGGED:doctor-patient relationshippatient satisfactionperson-centered care
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

Clinical Expertise
Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
Health care
May 18, 2025
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Health
May 15, 2025
Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
Health
May 15, 2025
Dr. Klaus Rentrop Shares Acute Myocardial Infarction heart treatment
Dr. Klaus Rentrop Shares Acute Myocardial Infarction
Cardiology
May 13, 2025

You Might also Like

Improving The Hospital Experience For Sexual Assault Survivors
Hospital Administration

Improving The Hospital Experience For Sexual Assault Survivors

March 16, 2018
telemedicine
BusinesseHealthTechnology

5 Fun Healthcare Tools to Help Build Patient Relationships

March 11, 2014

Stem Cell Therapy FDA Approved for Wrinkles

November 21, 2011

CeQur Develops Diabetes Compliance Device

April 27, 2011
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?