EVOLUTION OF & THE IMPACTS OF SOCIOLOGY ON THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE

Abstract

Throughout the years, the patient experience has constantly evolved with a more recent emphasis on patient-centered care. Now, as patients have become more proactive in their health, healthcare providers are expected to be more transparent, providing care that is respectful to individuals preferences, needs, and values. Consequently, patient satisfaction surveys like HCAHPS have grown to great value for measuring success and satisfaction with care and for encouraging the implementation of patient-centered care; such implementations creates higher quality care, greater healthcare outcomes, and improved patient experience and satisfaction, ultimately strengthening the healthcare system. However, despite these advancements, racial and ethnic disparities in health continue to exist; based on one's social identity, "fundamental" factors like socioeconomic status, racial inequalities, and discrimination can dramatically impact the level of care received. Critical race theory offers a framework to address this structural racism in healthcare, while strategies like contextualizing risk factors, diversifying the healthcare workforce, and cultural competence training aim to mitigate disparities by fostering trust and awareness and by providing the tools necessary to respond to such sociocultural issues.