How Did They Do It?
The Patient Experience Doesn’t Start at the Door
Improving patient satisfaction starts with optimizing parking facilities and wayfinding systems, as shown by UC Davis Medical Center's success in increasing patient satisfaction by 50% with their new parking garage.
Table of Contents
Cooper Rosner
Every hospital in the country must participate in the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey of patient satisfaction, which can directly affect funding. The patient experience is crucial in medical centers’ ability to provide healthcare. Many would think the patient experience starts when someone is brought in the front door by a gurney or when arriving at the front desk of a specific unit at the hospital; this is wrong.
One of the most influential factors in the patient experience is parking and finding your way to the correct entrance. Remember the parking lot when making changes to improve the patient experience. “At UC Davis Medical Center, patient satisfaction scores increased by 50% after their new garage opened.” (Knowles & Davis)
How Did They Do It?
There were three essential points to the success of UC Davis Medical Center’s parking garage and improvement to the patient experience:
- Determine the Best Parking Calculator
- The patient comes first
- Wayfinding
First, they performed a study to evaluate the current parking supply and its impact on demand. UC Davis Medical Center found that just adding a parking garage wasn’t sufficient to ensure proper usage, and the location of the parking garage was just as important. Hence, UC Davis chose to locate its new parking garage near the front of its campus to optimize access for patients and visitors. Second, they focused primarily on convenience for the patient when designing their parking garage. In a garage where visitors and employees need to park, they located visitor parking closer to the door to maximize convenience and satisfaction.
Further, they focused on the time between the car and the door: safe pedestrian walkways, convenient stairways, and elevators for patients to reach their destination on time. Third, UC Davis recognized that medical facilities could be confusing and difficult to navigate, especially for patients who arrive preoccupied or stressed. This realization put wayfinding at the forefront of discussion, adding significant improvements.
Knowing that parking structures can serve multiple buildings and units, clear signage, parking technology, and wayfinding apps are used to navigate the complexities of the parking structure. UC Davis has incorporated Parking Guidance Systems so visitors and patients can find open parking spots. Outside signage shows levels with available parking, and interior signage shows specific rows with open areas. In addition to the physical site, UC Davis has focused on the patient experience beginning before you arrive, making parking information heavily available online.
Finally, the integration of smartphone apps has revolutionized the patient experience. These apps facilitate medical appointments and incorporate wayfinding in parking garages and throughout medical campuses, providing appointment reminders that transform the patient experience into patient satisfaction.
Sources
- Knowles, Gordon, and Matt Davis. “Making the Grade: How Two Hospitals Have Used…”
- Watry Design, Inc., 31 Jan. 2017, watrydesign.com/insights/making-the-grade-how-two-hospitals-have-used-parking-to-increase-patient-satisfaction
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