A hospital patient arriving for a specific medical issue needs to have attention to all parts of mind and body to reduce stress and improve outcomes, said Rohit Verma, executive director of Cornell University’s Institute for Healthy Futures. This is akin to a hotel staff’s being aware that all aspects of a traveler’s stay — décor, cleanliness and quiet, as well as guests’ interactions with employees — are crucial to success. At Stanford Health Care a program called C-I-Care — which stands for Connect, Introduce, Communicate, Ask, Respond and Exit — trains all staff members to help patients any way they can. Along with their regular work duties, all hospital employees are required to spend time walking around and talking to patients or colleagues about their experiences to seek ways to improve the experience. “Hospitals want to create a loyal customer base,” Mr. Lee said. “It’s not that we want to see our patients back here, but we do want them to recommend us to their friends and families based on the experience they had with us.” Not all the new services are expensive. Brooke Hollis, an associate director of Cornell’s Sloan Program in Health Administration, noted that hospitals also look for “low-cost, high-impact ideas” like the University of Rochester’s Strong Memorial Hospital amenity kits with eye masks and ear plugs for patients in semiprivate rooms. The growth of on-site stores, spas and gathering places can attract more patients to a hospital. But meeting the medical needs of those additional patients can require more procedure and operating rooms, for which there may no longer be sufficient space. “While clinical excellence is paramount, hospitality design elements are important to prioritize,” Mr. Wu said, “even as clinical demand grows in a space-constrained environment.” The hospital he said, must find the balance.
Hospitals in the US are adopting hotel-like amenities, as they can help cut readmission rates and improve patient recovery. Features such as 24-hour room service for post-operative patients who don't want to eat at scheduled times, an online appointment system similar to those used to book flights to reduce cancellations, and rooms where clinical equipment is "tucked away" can all help improve patient outcomes and reduce stress. The hospital industry has been slow to adopt these new technologies, but hospitals have begun to take note.