Now consider Patient B, who also visits his own hospital’s cardiology department for evaluation of heart palpitations. Also understandably anxious, but unlike Patient A, Patient B is asked just once to complete one set of electronic forms. The data, along with all other information collected during his appointment, is stored in the hospital’s electronic health record. During a follow-up visit several weeks later, the physician is able to access the test results and other data from the patient’s initial visit. He leaves his productive visit with an action plan to modify his diet and get more exercise. Happy with the quality of his care, the patient communicates his satisfaction with family and friends, leading to positive perceptions of the hospital — and potentially leading other patients to visit the hospital for their own care. The downstream benefits may multiply as the patient communicates his satisfaction through hospital and insurance company surveys.

As this hypothetical tale of two patient experiences in two hospitals clearly shows, the level of interoperability within a hospital can have major effects on patients’ overall experience and perception of care quality — regardless of the actual care outcome. It can help to review your hospital’s interoperability levels to see if they are capable of meeting the demands and expectations of today’s patients.

Michael Campana joined Ricoh in 2012 as Senior Manager of Healthcare Marketing. He brings 27 years of experience to the role to lead the market positioning and strategy for Ricoh’s healthcare industry vertical in the Americas. Campana began his career in the healthcare industry upon graduating from the University of South Florida. He has worked for a number of healthcare organizations, including most recently Siemens Medical Solutions Health Services.