Why Patient Experience Is Healthcare’s Bottom Line

Part 4 of The Strategic Role of Patient Experience in Healthcare.

Co-written by: Gretchen Werremeyer, President and CEO and Eluka Moore, Senior Marketing Leader and Brand Strategist

In today’s competitive healthcare landscape, patient experience (PX) has emerged as a powerful strategic lever—impacting everything from brand perception and loyalty to clinical outcomes and revenue growth.

It used to be that health systems competed on credentials, convenience, referrals, and reputation. But the landscape has shifted. Patients have more information and options at their fingertips than ever before, and they have higher expectations. They’re looking for more than a skilled provider. They want to feel understood, supported, valued and respected. And when they don’t? They move on.

Patient experience (PX) is no longer a buzzword or some soft metric – it’s the heartbeat of healthcare delivery. It shapes trust, determines whether patients return, and influences what they tell others. In fact, patients who rate their care as “excellent” are 4 to 5 times more likely to refer others.

PX is about more than kindness at the reception desk. It’s the entire journey of care—before, during, and after a visit–that shapes their confidence in the system and people caring for them. Was it easy to schedule an appointment? Did the patient leave confident, knowing what to do next? Were the given clear instructions? These small moments have been shown to carry real weight. Studies show that higher patient experience scores are linked to improved treatment adherence, fewer ER visits, and higher patient lifetime value.

We’ve seen this play out firsthand. Healthcare organizations we’ve worked with that lead with experience by prioritizing clarity, empathy, and trust, are building stronger brands, deeper loyalty, and lasting growth.

The Modern Patient Has Changed

Today’s patients are digital-first, value-conscious, and shaped by experiences in retail, banking, and other service industries. They’re bringing those expectations into healthcare, whether that’s using their phone, managing appointments, or accessing data.

An AJMC analysis found patients—like consumers—now expect the same convenience and on-demand access from healthcare as they do from Amazon or banking apps.

But this shift goes beyond the convenience of technology. The line between healthcare and customer experience is blurring. Patients begin their search online, comparing ratings and reviews before making any decisions. That means healthcare systems need to meet them where they are and see the patient experience as one continuous journey that begins the moment someone starts looking for care.

At Werremeyer, we’ve partnered with systems that recognize this shift. We help design and launch intuitive, brand-forward and patient-centered marketing that builds trust, reinforces value, and supports loyalty across the care journey.

The ROI of Delivering a Better Patient Experience

PX isn’t just about how care is delivered. When done well, it also delivers measurable results. In fact, high HCAHPS scores don’t just reflect happy patients—they often point to stronger financial performance behind the scenes.

According to Deloitte, higher patient experience ratings are associated with higher profitability, and a modest 10-point bump in top-box HCAHPS ratings can lead to a 1.4% increase in margin on average. That might seem small, but across a large health system, it can add up to millions in additional revenue and build a stronger foundation for sustainable growth.

PX touches more than just satisfaction—it can shift how systems grow and compete. It helps systems stand out, negotiate better with payers, retain more patients, and position themselves at a higher tier in the market. Organizations with a strong patient experience are often able to command premium pricing without needing to outspend competitors on advertising or acquisition.

It also shows up inside the organization. When patients feel respected, providers and staff feel less friction. Communication improves. Workloads feel more manageable. A study in the Journal of Patient Experience on the correlation of provider burnout with patient experience shows that hospitals that made PX a core priority saw better engagement from physicians and lower rates of burnout.

It’s a competitive landscape where trust and reputation matter more than ever. And systems that lead in PX tend to be more resilient and weather the storm more gracefully. They recover faster from PR setbacks, maintain steadier volume during market disruptions, and protect their reputation in ways others can’t.

Marketing’s Role in Shaping PX

A new standard is emerging—one that is patient-centered, experience-driven, and rooted in empathy. It’s a model that recognizes the full continuum of care, from diagnosis to daily living, and it demands more from all of us—especially marketing leaders.

From first impressions to follow-up care, every interaction shapes how patients feel and what they remember. That’s where marketing has a powerful role to play.

This isn’t theory. We’re seeing it up close. Organizations we work with that treat marketing like a strategic investment are aligning their brand, communication, and patient experience strategies into a single, intentional effort. And as a result, they aren’t just delivering better care, they’re building stronger businesses.

Next up, we’ll dive a little deeper into How Marketing Shapes Patient Experience and explore how designing patient-first touchpoints, telling authentic stories, and building trust that lasts beyond the exam room can help translate patient experience goals into real-world impact for healthcare businesses.

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