In a previous contribution to EHL Insights, we elaborated on the parallels between the hospitality and healthcare industries. We looked at what hospitals can learn from the hospitality industry at a strategic level. In this follow-up piece we take a look at the potential for learning at the operational level. Like hotels, hospitals have a back-of-the-house and a front-of the-house logic.
We suggest that the front-of-house aspects of a hospital can benefit from a comparison with the hospitality industry and we suggest several avenues for potential learning. Our recommendations focus on improvements in the physical environment of the hospital, on the quality and scope of services that are offered, and, last but not least, on the use of service-focused information technology.
Many of the aesthetical and design aspects of a hospital are necessarily functional in nature. However, hospitals have countless non-technical spaces that are not directly designed for medical treatment. Making these areas more hospitable is a challenge that few hospitals seem to take seriously. Possible improvements include the use of specific color schemes, the introduction of more natural light, the use of comfortable and aesthetically pleasing furniture, etc.
One could even go beyond this. For many people, the mere smell of disinfectant that seems to dominate hospital environments is revolting. In some areas it may be inevitable, but why not create a signature scent in spaces that are not critical from a medical viewpoint? And how about including art in public spaces? There are countless possibilities for creativity in the design of ‘servicescapes’ and the hospitality industry is well positioned to transfer best practices in this respect.
The hospitality industry knows a lot about the importance of a quiet environment for the wellbeing of their guests. A good night’s sleep is high on the priority list for most people staying in hotels and quiet surroundings are an essential precondition for that.
Hospital environments are often characterized by the exact opposite. An endless array of lights - some steady, some blinking - and machinery that emits noises are omnipresent. Then there’s the obnoxious acoustic alarm in the corridor, audible to everyone, when a patient presses the call button. Without mentioning staff chatting away or yelling all hours of the day or the night. While there may be technical requirements to be respected, hospitals could certainly invest more energy into the creation of quiet, restful physical environments that are conducive to patients’ recovery and wellbeing.
Hospital food clearly needs to meet dietary requirements and should be conducive to patients’ recovery from the viewpoint of nutritional support, energy provision, etc. As a result, some foods and beverages may not be permitted. However, the fun element of food and its impact on the wellbeing of patients should not be overlooked. Eating good food, possibly in the company of your loved ones, can be a source of comfort and emotional well-being.
Some hospitals have successfully experimented with transforming the food offer into something more akin to a culinary experience. The potential for learning from the F&B side in hospitality operations is obvious in this respect. This includes the meals themselves, but also the surrounding elements, including the physical context in which food is served. For patients that are bedridden there is little flexibility. However, for all the others, a nicely designed dining room would certainly be a welcome alternative to dining in the same room where one spends all day and night.
A concierge in a hotel handles special requests to ensure a comfortable and enjoyable stay for guests. These may include restaurant bookings, special transportation requests, or finding tickets to cultural or sporting events. While patients may not need many of these services, the role of visitors and next of kin is often overlooked. Hospital environments are often confusing and intimidating. Out-of-town visitors or visiting relatives may get easily lost and would benefit from orientation and support. A concierge service may be the next step up from the simply hospital reception which hardly ever provides more information than the room number of a particular patient.
While it may sound a little outlandish, hospitals that are willing to engage in creative experimentation could consider the opening of a wellness space for patients. Current offers in hospitals rarely go beyond basic hairdressing services. For patients who have to stay in stationary care for some time but are not necessarily bedridden, spaces like a spa, beauty parlor, fitness center, restaurant or café focusing on healthy dining options may contribute to faster recovery and make patients’ stay more pleasant.
Over time, the hotel industry has made great advances in harnessing technology to learn more about guests and their personal preferences. The ultimate objective is to create personalized experiences that meet guest expectations to the highest possible degree. Many hospitals have repeat business with their patients, in particular for those with chronic diseases. Yet meaningful data collection about individual preferences and use of this information to enhance the care experience rarely ever occurs. Personalization of the care experience can include scheduling preferences, F&B choices, amenities, all the way to personalized room settings.
For service failure recovery and continuous service improvement, the collection of feedback is of utmost importance. Many hotels use either conventional feedback systems, e.g., guest surveys, or more advanced and real-time-oriented mechanisms like digital surveys that can be completed on mobile devices. For hospitals, the collection of feedback, if it happens, usually relies on a patchwork of personal communication, which makes the systematic analysis of data impossible. Again, the direct transfer of best practices from the hospitality to the healthcare industry has the potential to improve the collection and use of patient feedback.
Meaningful learning and knowledge transfer from the hospitality industry to the healthcare context requires building cross-sector partnerships. These may range from the documentation and exchange of best practices to joint training and staff development activities. However, partnerships and joint activities need not be limited to the operational level.
Going beyond simple operational issues, cross-industry workshops at the managerial level may also pave the way for a better integration of service thinking and service excellence orientation into the healthcare environment. In addition, they may help hospitals identify how such a cultural shift can be supported through appropriate organizational procedures and service-oriented leadership principles.