Patient or customer journey mapping has gained significant traction in recent years due to the healthcare industry's shift towards a more human-centred care approach, emphasising the quality of patient experiences and outcomes. But what exactly is patient journey mapping, and should you use it in your practice? In this blog, we will explore the basics of this process and how it can help improve the experiences and outcomes for your patients.
What is patient journey mapping?
Patient journey mapping is a strategic tool used to understand and visually present the experiences, interactions, emotions, and pain points that patients or customers experience as they navigate the healthcare system. It helps organisations identify areas for improvement. This human-centred tool has been adapted from other industries, where it is now commonplace to map a customer's journey to help identify opportunities to improve and personalise the customer's experiences with an organisation's products or services.
Patient journey mapping essentially involves creating a detailed, step-by-step representation of a patients journey from their initial identification of a need to seek help, through to their contact with a healthcare service, the conclusion of their treatment and beyond. It covers various stages such as:
Need:Recognising the need to seek medical advice or assistance.
Finding a service: Searching for and selecting a care provider or service.
Accessing a service:Making appointments and initial consultations
Receiving care or treatment:The actual medical or therapeutic intervention or service.
On-going or follow-up care:Post-treatment support and follow-up or appointments.
By mapping out these stages, health providers can highlight key touchpoints and interactions with healthcare providers, systems, and processes. The primary goal is to gain insights into the patient experience, identify pain points, and discover opportunities for improvement. Patient journey maps also enable healthcare teams to see the patients experience from their perspective, fostering empathy and a deeper understanding of their emotions, motivations and challenges.