5 Ways to Improve the Patient Experience

Patients arriving at Cleveland Clinic’s Taussig Cancer Center are shielded from rain and snow by a 350-foot long awning that hangs over the building entrance. They are greeted at the door by an employee who walks with them to their appointment. In waiting areas, they are surrounded by artwork and soothing natural light that flows in through the windows.

A patient-centric approach is also at play in the design of the exam rooms, where patients are situated in the center of rooms, surrounded by monitors that display their lab and imaging results and their care plans. 

Cleveland Clinic developed this new cancer center, which opened its doors in 2017, by consulting a panel of former cancer patients who provided feedback on specific ways the space could create a welcoming and healing experience, says Adrienne Boissy, MD, chief experience officer at Cleveland Clinic Health System.

The center brings all outpatient cancer treatment services (such as radiology and the lab) to one location, reduces wait times, improves patient flow, and provides patients with a healing environment, says Boissy. Clinical teams include surgeons, nurses, genetic counselors, and social workers. The center also provides patients with access to yoga classes, free wigs and hats, and art therapy and music therapy appointments.