You may have heard about patient journey mapping. You may even have tried it in your organisation. But this strategy won’t improve patient experience unless you avoid these mistakes.
Mistake 1 – No clear outcomes
Beginning without the end in mind is the first mistake organisations make.
They jump into the mapping process with enthusiasm and vigour. But forget to define the ultimate destination.
That creates confusion among the stakeholders. People feel uncertain. They lose interest and motivation. And you end up consigning the strategy to the dustbin of ‘been there, done that’ without getting any benefit.
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
By taking the time to define what you want to achieve with journey mapping, you can avoid this problem.
That’s’ because a clear target makes everyone more likely to engage in the journey mapping process. This helps you to get meaningful, actionable results. And hit the bullseye when it comes to improving the patient experience.
Mistake 2 – Ticking a box
Patient journey mapping is a bit of a buzzword at the moment.
All the ‘cool kids’ are using it. And many organisations add it into strategic plans without understanding the concept.
“ It’s part of our strategy ,” they say.
But the strategy for what!
If you tried to screw a shelf to the wall with a saw, you would end up with a mess at best, fewer fingers at worst.
Patient journey mapping is a tool like a saw. You need to understand what it’s for and how to use it to get the best results.
Mistake 3 – Focusing on process
Patient journey mapping is NOT process mapping.
Many health organisations try to turn journey mapping into a process. They look at the touch points through the stakeholder’s eyes instead of the patient’s eyes.
A recipe for disaster!
You should always develop journey maps from the patient’s point of view. That’s the only way to identify emotions, pain points and moments of truth. It’s the only way to understand your patient and improve their experience.
Of course, this is a lot harder than it sounds. It can take years of experience, trial and error.
If you need help with patient journey mapping, please get in touch with us by clicking here.
