Patients as consumers: 5 healthcare take-aways from other industries

The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center (known as OSUCC or "The James") has long been known for its high-quality care, but when the facility was rebuilt its leadership wanted a space designed to help improve the well-being of patients, families and staff. A 21-story complex part of OSU's Wexner Medical Center, The James draws patients seeking expert consultation from its world-class oncology specialists. But when those patients arrive at its new front doors, they find a place designed with them, and their families, in mind.

Among other things, The James is now home to restaurants, retail shops and banking services, free wireless Internet, large windows in rooms with expansive views, and casual “family lounges" where visitors can rest. Rooftop gardens complement a park across the street, and there's even an onsite Patient and Family Resource Center, run by staff and volunteers ready to answer any questions. “It's meant to make you feel more at home—and less like you're in some kind of institutionalized medical facility," said Corbin Shaw, a healthcare innovation specialist at Fuse, Cardinal Health's innovation center.

The James is just one of a growing number of hospitals and health facilities that have sought to bolster their standing by improving and amplifying the patient experience. Taking a page from the playbooks of other industries, and especially from the worlds of retail and hospitality, such organizations are now marketing their amenities alongside their reputations for care quality. “A lot of it has to do with increasing deductibles," Shaw noted. “Patients are more cognizant of where their money is going, so when they have the choice, they're shopping around."

So what have hospitals learned from their industry counterparts as they've looked for new ways to keep their patients happy? Here are five of the most important takeaways:

Anyone who has stayed in a hotel while traveling knows how nice it is to have free airport shuttle service. But trips to and from your local healthcare facility? Some hospitals are giving it a shot. MedStar Health in Washington, DC, for example, has partnered with Uber  to bring the ride-hailing service to its patients (for some, insurance covers such trips, but others have to pay out of pocket); and up the coast in New Jersey, Hackensack University Medical Center has done the same , offering financial support to those who need it and $20 credits to first-time riders. In a competitive healthcare marketplace, these services and others like them (think same-day appointments, walk-in care, on-site pharmacies, etc.) could be what it takes to get patients in the door.

Price transparency is behind much of the success of retail giants like Amazon and Zappos, and now some healthcare organizations are following suit. “If you know you're going to buy a flat-screen TV," Shaw explained, “you find the best-quality device at a price you can afford. People are starting to do that with healthcare, so price transparency is extremely important." One player in the industry that understands this well is CVS: the company's MinuteClinic  walk-in service lists all of its prices on its website. Want an annual physical? If you're paying out of pocket, it costs $89. (See the American Hospital Association's "Achieving Price Transparency for Consumers: A Toolkit for Hospitals"  for case examples and price transparency tools.)