8 DECEMBER 2025IN MY OPINIONTakeaways from Incorporating the Patient Experience as a Strategic Element and Enabler to Foster a Culture of Innovation through the HospitalBy Joan Vinyets i Rejón, Head of Patient Experience, Barcelona Children's Hospital Sant Joan de DéuPatient experience is recognised as an important component of high-quality care. There is a broad consensus that it is a key strategic element in facilitating a culture of continuous improvement in healthcare. Understanding how patients experience the care we provide and their needs, preferences, and wishes enables us to identify crucial issues (pain points, inefficiencies, gaps in processes, communication, etc.) in care models and facilitates their improvement--better quality, safer, and more efficient services. Research in the United States has linked a high-quality patient experience with lower overall costs. Further research also reveals how patient-centred care often incurs lower costs due to shorter lengths of stay. In addition to improved efficiency and quality, it has also been demonstrated that incorporating patient experience facilitates the engagement of teams of professionals to make improvements or test new ideas in an agile way. It helps organisations to promote a climate of continuous improvement and a culture of innovation. For many years, Sant Joan de Déu Hospital has been committed to a care model that incorporates the patient experience as a core element in its strategy of continuous improvement and innovation. This is not just a question of improving information, medical appointments, or care areas, but also implies considering the role and impact that the culture of the whole organisation has on the patient's experience throughout the entire care process. The healthcare we provide must add value, from their own perspective, according to how they go through the proposed experience. We aim to ensure that they receive the right care at the right time and in the right way. In our experience, a solution is not sustainable if it does not imply a substantial shift in organisational culture. It must encompass the development of patient-centric strategies by deploying a culture based on patient experience that maximises benefits for patients and the organisation. It requires strategically implementing the patient experience as a springboard to foster cultural change in the organisation--a commitment in terms of management, resources and leadership model. Achieving successful strategic implementation means going beyond developing patient experience projects on an ad hoc basis. First, it requires constant attention from the organisation's leadership to emphasise the importance of this commitment at all levels and that it permeates throughout the organisation. In addition, several essential elements must be considered to drive this strategic approach to improve patient experience and facilitate cultural change.Joan Vinyets Rejón
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