“Let me take care of you”: What can healthcare learn from a high-end restaurant to improve patient experience?

Abstract

Background The patient experience is associated with patient satisfaction and health outcomes, presenting a key challenge in healthcare. The objective of the study was to explore the principles of care in and beyond healthcare, namely in a three Michelin-starred restaurant, and consider what, if any, principles of care from the diners’ experience could be transferrable to healthcare. Method The principles of care were first explored as part of observational fieldwork in a healthcare day surgery unit and the restaurant respectively, focusing on communication between the professionals and the patients or the diners. Care was subsequently explored in a series of public engagement events across the UK. The events used immersive simulation to recreate the healthcare and the dining experiences for the general public, and to stimulate discussion. Results A thematic analysis of the engagement discussions identified overarching themes in how care was experienced in and through communication; ‘informed, not bombarded’, ‘conversation, not interrogation’, ‘environment is communication’, and ‘being met as a person’. The themes suggested how the participants in simulation felt about the care they received in real time and provided recommendations for improved clinical practice.