Adrienne Boissy of Qualtrics talks about the patient experience | Data Book podcast

Adrienne Boissy focuses on empathy and values.

Adrienne Boissy, chief medical officer of Qualtrics (Photo: Qualtrics)

“I’ve got a big fire in my belly for reducing suffering and creating more joy,” she says.

Boissy is the chief medical officer of Qualtrics, a software company that helps organizations learn more about their customers in order to build better experiences. She’s a neurologist who takes care of patients with multiple sclerosis at the Cleveland Clinic, where she worked for years as the chief experience officer.

In the latest Data Book podcast, she talks about the importance of organizations living their values. As she notes, hospitals can cite empathy as a core value, but they must demonstrate that to their patients and workers.

“As healthcare tries to differentiate itself, in today's world, with a lot of different competitors, and a lot of different models of care, you're seeing people double down on experience as a differentiator,” she tells Chief Healthcare Executive®.

She also talks about the importance of demonstrating empathy to patients, which includes ensuring they are able to get appointments with doctors without waiting for months.

Health systems also show empathy by ensuring patients can get the care they need and aren’t foregoing treatment because they can’t afford it or they’re worried about medical debt. One in three patients postponed care because of the costs, according to a recent Qualtrics survey.

In a wide-ranging interview, Boissy discusses the need to treat employees well to improve patient care and the bottom line. She talks about the dangers of toxic leaders, who can siphon the joy out of workers and the impact on patient care. And she talks about the growing desires for consumers to have the same convenience in healthcare as they get from other industries.

If hospitals and health systems want to create a better experience, Boissy says leaders must drive that change.

“I think it starts with the values of the organization,” she says, “and executive leadership being crystal clear about: Who do you want to be?”