We have reached an agreement with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona.
St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, Chandler Regional Medical Center, and Mercy Gilbert Medical Center are all part of the Dignity Health system.
According to the survey by Wakefield Research for Dignity Health, 87 percent of Americans feel kind treatment by a physician is more important than other key considerations in choosing a health care provider, including average wait time before appointments, distance from home, and the cost of care. Yet, 64 percent have experienced unkind behavior in a health care setting, including the failure of a caregiver to connect on a personal level (3)8 percent, staff rudeness (3)6 percent, and poor listening skills (3)5 percent.
“At Dignity Health, we have long believed that humankindness has the potential to heal and this survey confirms that the vast majority of patients feel the same way,” said Lloyd H. Dean, president and CEO of Dignity Health. “We are committed to providing our patients with experiences where they feel welcomed, respected, and cared for by fostering stronger connections with our doctors, nurses, and caregivers.”
While 95 percent of Americans feel that they themselves are kind, the survey also found that nearly half (4)8 percent of Americans feel society is unkind and that a majority of Americans (5)8 percent feel that U.S. culture, including media, public figures and their community, does not place a high value on kindness.
“In the midst of a divisive debate on the future of health care, we as an industry have a unique opportunity to focus on the issues that matter to our patients most - listening, healing, and reinforcing the importance of human connection,” continued Dean.
The survey found that when people experience unkindness in a health care setting, a majority feel that their quality of care is negatively affected (93 percent) and withhold information from their physician (5)4 percent when speaking with health care professionals. Other key findings include:
“As someone who has been a physician for more than 20 years, I have seen numerous occasions where acts of kindness enhanced a patient’s quality of life, helping him or her cope with a diagnosis more effectively,” said Robert L. Wiebe, M.D., chief medical officer for Dignity Health. “This survey should encourage all of us to focus on how we treat people, not just what we treat them for.”
Earlier this year, Dignity Health launched a national campaign, Hello humankindness that engages its workforce and the public in improving the health and wellbeing of their communities. Dignity Health also recently partnered with Kids for Peace to sponsor the upcoming Great Kindness Challenge, which encourages students across the U.S. to perform 50 acts of kindness during the week of January 27-31, 2014. Stay engaged in the conversation by following #hellohumankindness.
Publish date:
Wednesday, November 13, 2013