covid pandemic fears and solutions

1. The Patient Experience – COVID pandemic fears and solutions
The COVID pandemic has frozen many industries, but one that urgently needs attention is the
healthcare industry. With over 2 million infected people in the US there is a great deal of fear and
concern about visiting hospitals and other healthcare facilities by the rest of the population. Hospitals
are reporting that patient traffic is down sharply and those that are visiting hospitals and emergency
rooms are sicker than normal, having delayed a visit due to fears about the very hospital they need to
address their conditions.
Tucker & Company commissioned national patient research in June 2020 focused on understanding 3
critical factors:
• How concerned are patients about a visit to the hospital or emergency room?
• What specifically are they concerned about?
• What can hospitals do to alleviate patient fears and help them get the care and treatment they
need?
Patient Fears – On High alert
Patients stated they were extremely concerned about visiting an emergency room during the current
pandemic, with 70% stating they had “severe or major concerns” about visiting an ER. This represents a
serious situation that needs proactive communication and management to make patients feel safe
enough to get the medical attention they need.

2. Patients fear being exposed to other COVID and other diseases by other patients and medical staff
Patients #1 fear was being exposed to COVID by other patients during their visit. However, their #2 fear
was being exposed to COVID by the medical staff during their visit. With these top 2 fears in mind,
protocols and procedures can be developed and communicated to overcome the fears. In addition,
several more factors generated concern for more than 45% of patients.
Focus on the waiting room and admittance area – don’t forget the care delivery area and staff as well
Patients were most concerned about the ER waiting area, with 89% having a high or moderate degree of
concern about their infection exposure in that area. The care delivery area followed closely with 76%
having a high or moderate degree of concern.

3. Technology can help improve the issue – but Telehealth/Telemedicine isn’t the #1 option
Patients prioritized a set of improvements to help them feel safer about going to the ER during the
pandemic. The 2 most frequently recommended items were publishing Patient guidelines for being safe
at the ER and having a real-time ER monitor with expected waiting time to avoid the fears of a long-wait
and continued exposure to other patients. Telemedicine received a suggestion from over 60% of
patients.
Patient input and feedback is critical to delivering communications to best help patients and their
families get the care they need during these stressful times. Over 300 patient-generated suggestions
were provided that can help your hospital and emergency room get back up to the level of care delivery
the community needs. Please contact us to get a copy of the research findings or discuss how to
leverage the research for your healthcare operation at greg@tucker-co.com.
Greg Tucker is CEO of Tucker & Company and works with dozens of global leaders to research, design
and improve patient experiences and deliver business results. He is an award-winning CX leader, a CX
Expert (CXPA) and received his MBA from Stanford University.