SR Health Blog

If you ask Jake Poore whether healthcare providers can learn anything from Disney, he’ll tell you yes. In fact, there’s enough to write a book and an online class on the topic, and that’s exactly what he did. In 99 Lessons Learned from Disney to Improve the Patient Experience, this former Disney leader describes how to design world-class service and care, manage wait times, and help providers understand that clinical care (quality) and human kindness (service) are not mutually exclusive. Following is a summary of a recent conversation with Poore on the topic of how to improve the overall patient experience based on lessons learned while working for nearly two decades at Disney.

As patients take on more responsibility for their medical bills, they are more often approaching healthcare decisions with a retail-oriented mindset. It’s no longer enough to provide high-quality care or for providers to rely on clinical excellence. Today, patients want convenience, access to their providers outside of the office, and outstanding service in every aspect of their care.