The 5 Most Overlooked Touchpoints in Patient Experience
- Kaizen Consulting
- Jun 17
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 31
Introduction: The Power of What’s Missed
Healthcare organizations devote tremendous resources to improving patient satisfaction. From concierge services to clinical redesign, we work hard to get big things right. But what about the small moments? Often, the biggest impression is made in the smallest interaction. That’s why it’s time to examine the overlooked touchpoints in patient experience—those fleeting but pivotal moments that shape perception, loyalty, and outcomes.
In this blog post, we explore five of the most underappreciated interactions in the care journey and show how transforming these touchpoints can improve the overall patient experience.
Why Overlooked Touchpoints in Patient Experience Matter
Patients don’t always remember the surgical technique or the technical complexity of care. What they remember is how they were made to feel:
Was anyone listening?
Did I feel safe and respected?
Was the process smooth or frustrating?
When organizations neglect subtle moments—transfers, waiting rooms, or billing—satisfaction suffers. The good news? These moments are often low-cost, high-impact opportunities for improvement.
1. The Parking Lot and Entrance Experience
Why It’s Overlooked: Most operational planning starts at the front desk. But for the patient, the experience begins well before that—when they enter the parking lot.
Common Pain Points:
Confusing signage
Limited or inaccessible parking
Unclear drop-off procedures
Real-World Example: Baptist Health South Florida
Baptist Health invested in entrance redesign and parking lot signage. They added greeters and clearly marked patient-only zones. Even though clinical care didn’t change, satisfaction scores related to “first impressions” jumped by 18%.
Kaizen Insight: Audit your entire arrival journey. Include valet services, ADA compliance, and wayfinding signage. These are the first and last moments patients recall.
2. Pre-Visit Communication
Why It’s Overlooked: Scheduling and prep instructions are often left to templated emails or generic reminder calls.
Common Pain Points:
Incomplete instructions
Confusing prep requirements
Impersonal messaging
Example: Cleveland Clinic’s MyChart Optimization
Cleveland Clinic revamped its pre-visit communication through MyChart, adding personalized videos, simple summaries, and visuals for prep instructions. Patient readiness improved, cancellations dropped, and experience scores rose.
Kaizen Insight: Customize messaging by visit type. Use visuals and plain language. Empower your schedulers—they’re ambassadors for your brand.
3. The Handoff Between Departments
Why It’s Overlooked: Handovers are often seen as clinical formalities, not patient experience moments.
Common Pain Points:
Repetition of information
Delays due to miscommunication
Patients feel “passed around”
Example: Intermountain Healthcare Team-Based Handoffs
Intermountain adopted structured, team-based handoffs using bedside huddles. Nurses, techs, and physicians reviewed plans together with patients. The result? Patients felt more informed and involved—and safety metrics improved.
Kaizen Insight: Make handoffs transparent. Involve the patient. Reinforce continuity with introductions and simple status updates.
4. The Billing and Payment Process
Why It’s Overlooked: Finance is often siloed from clinical experience, yet billing confusion is a major driver of patient dissatisfaction.
Common Pain Points:
Lack of transparency about costs
Confusing post-visit bills
No clear point of contact
Real-World Example: Geisinger Health’s “MyVisit” Estimates
Geisinger launched a system that gives upfront cost estimates via patient portals. They coupled this with follow-up calls to explain bills. Patient trust improved—and collections increased.
Kaizen Insight: Integrate financial experience with clinical communication. Train front desk staff to answer basic billing questions.
5. Follow-Up and Aftercare Communication
Why It’s Overlooked: Discharge is often treated as the end of care, when it should be a transition.
Common Pain Points:
No post-visit check-ins
Inaccessible follow-up instructions
Unanswered questions = ER visits
Example: Mount Sinai Hospital’s Post-Discharge Concierge
Mount Sinai implemented a 24-hour follow-up call system and digital care instructions. The result: 25% reduction in avoidable readmissions and a 30-point boost in Press Ganey scores.
Kaizen Insight: Build care beyond the walls. Use text follow-ups, nurse check-ins, and patient-friendly summaries. It shows you care, even after discharge.
Transforming Overlooked Touchpoints into Strategic Advantages
These five overlooked touchpoints in patient experience represent gaps—but also golden opportunities. Organizations that prioritize these details:
Create stronger patient-provider trust
Improve safety and continuity of care
Reduce call volumes and complaint rates
Increase patient loyalty and positive word of mouth
When we elevate overlooked moments, we elevate the entire care experience.
Kaizen’s Approach: Closing Gaps, Enhancing Experience
At Kaizen Consulting Solutions, we specialize in uncovering these overlooked patient experience opportunities. Using tools like journey mapping, mystery shopping, and Lean walkthroughs, we help organizations:
Identify hidden friction points
Redesign processes with the patient lens
Train frontline staff for micro-moment excellence
Conclusion: It’s Time to Look Closer
In healthcare, no touchpoint is too small to matter. From the parking lot to post-discharge, every moment tells a story. The most admired healthcare organizations don’t just deliver care—they orchestrate experiences.
Don’t let the hidden moments erode your reputation. Transform them into differentiators. Because what’s overlooked today could be your biggest competitive advantage tomorrow.
Contact Kaizen Consulting Solutions to learn how we can help you reimagine patient experience—one touchpoint at a time.
Visit www.kaizenconsultservice.com or schedule your consultation today.
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