Remember Your Why: How Patient Experience Leaders Remain Inspired to Take Action

Entering a new year often provides an opportunity to examine our beliefs and commitments. Simon Sinek (1), author of Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, emphasizes that “All organizations start with WHY, but only the great ones keep their WHY clear year after year.” With the fast pace of our daily lives, we can easily lose sight of the “why” that drives our commitment to patient experience. Sinek reminds us that “Very few people or companies can clearly articulate WHY they do WHAT they do. By WHY I mean your purpose, cause or belief—WHY does your company exist? WHY do you get out of bed every morning? And WHY should anyone care?”

A recent encounter presented an opportunity for me to ponder these “why” questions. A lifelong friend called for help. After denying his struggle with anxiety and depression for many years, he was finally seeking help after a debilitating series of recent panic attacks which were culminating in notable life dysfunction (eg, inability to enter public spaces, to complete work projects, or to visit family). With reluctance and shame, he had walked into a local primary care clinic. Desperate for support, he tearfully asked the doctor for a specific medication that had provided relief during a difficult period a decade prior. There was no physical exam, there were few questions asked, and my friend described the doctor as dismissive, cold, and hurried. Refusing the request, the doctor instead offered a very common prescription that typically provides relief in 30 days. As my friend exited the appointment, he frantically asked the receptionist for some other solution. Her suggestion was that he should see the one psychiatry professional in this rural area (the next opening in 30 days), or to visit the emergency room (an unappealing option for a man with no health insurance who was already experiencing such extreme anxiety that he could no longer shop in the local grocery store). Later that day, my friend called to share his story “in case something happened.” My own emotions ran high—alarm, sadness, frustration, and helplessness. I spent the next 24+ hours exploring possible solutions. After seeking recommendations and personally interviewing a staff member at a local clinic, I secured an appointment for my friend. Worried that he might unwilling to attend due to the prior negative encounter, I eagerly coached him and then waited for the report. After the visit, he called to say that the new experience was entirely different—he felt heard, validated, and supported. My friend left the encounter with relief, hope, and a renewed (albeit still cautious) confidence in health-care providers.

The dichotomy between these 2 encounters reminded me of the unreliability of patient experience—Is health care akin to “gambling,” as if rolling dice on the roulette wheel, hoping to “win” when the spinning subsides and the provider speaks?

This experience reminded me of the normalized suffering for many who seek care. The situation my friend encountered is sadly quite “common.” While his ailments were not “life-threatening,” his quality of life was (and is) at risk. What would have happened if he had not called a friend who happens to specialize in communication and patient experience?

In response to the questions by Simon Sinek, stories like this help me to clearly articulate WHY I do what I do. This is my purpose, my cause, my belief. This is why my organization exists. This is why I get out bed every morning and this is why we care about patient experience.

The Journal of Patient Experience provides a space to share stories, research, and best practices that remind us of our collective “why.” We will continue this mission in 2020 with expanded publication with plans to release 6 (rather than 4) issues each year. The journal will remain free and open access via online distribution. We are grateful to our volunteer peer reviewers who enable production and we value the submissions from a wide range of authors.

Laura Cooley, PhD
Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Patient Experience