I was asked this question, “Where is the roadmap?” a few years ago from someone who is not a healthcare professional. We were in a conversation about nursing and healthcare in general. I was explaining a bit about the culture in nursing and healthcare from a nursing experience. I have had far more nursing experiences than patient experiences. However, these are very different experiences.

To be a patient requires that someone has found a healthcare provider (e.g., doctor, nurse practitioner, nurse, phlebotomist, etc.) to receive some form of care. Before this happens, one is a person in need of care. However, how do you find it? How do you find the care that you need from the best person and/or organization that can deliver it?

While there are multiple pathways, the short answer today is ‘it depends’.

A logical first step is to search providers in network with one’s health insurance company, (if one has health insurance and/or a directory to search).

From there, one will receive a list of names that may say, “Accepting New Patients” or “Not Accepting New Patients”. One can then filter out the “Not Accepting New Patients” and work from the “Accepting New Patients” list. However, then one is making choices based on information that may or may not be available. This entire process could be enough to delay or stop some from getting to the initial appointment.

Another option is to take to a search engine or what now many are likely using, generative AI models, to provide responses. Yet, one cannot truly know if that healthcare professional is the best person for them without an initial appointment or consultation. The bedside manner, practice and/or organizational standards, wait times, responsiveness, supportive technology, trust, success rates, and more can all impact this experience. Sometimes, whether a person selects a provider or not has nothing to do with the condition or reason for visit that makes or breaks the next step on the healthcare roadmap journey.

If one is lucky, they may know someone who can provide the best name and/or be referred by someone else. However, this is not something available to everyone.

Yes, there are a few emerging companies working to provide these matches. However, this is just the beginning of the healthcare experience. What does one do when they have passed the entry point? What is one to expect? What questions should be asked? What should they know? What could be learned on the side of the patient? What is expected of the patient but not clearly communicated to the patient?

Now, the healthcare experience is not one that can be prescriptive as each person has different clinical and personal needs for care. However, we do not have a consistent onramp for anyone to know how to navigate what could be the most important decision that one could make around who to see (or not see) for a specific healthcare concern.

Patient-centeredness is one of the six parts of quality care. To be patient-centered is to provide care that addresses the individual needs of the patient to make decisions for optimal care outcomes. Being both a nurse and a patient at times, there is great opportunity to increase the voice and experience of the patient within the care experience.

~ Tiffany Kelley PhD MBA RN NI-BC FNAP FAAN