A Word of Comfort and Empathy Leaves a Lasting Impression on the Patient Experience

▲ On August 6, Professor Tae-Yon Sung of the Division of Endocrine Surgery at Asan Medical Center (front row, left) explains the patient’s condition and future treatment plan to a patient who underwent thyroid surgery.

Asan Medical Center has received a Grade 1 rating in the fifth Patient Experience Evaluation conducted by the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service (HIRA), achieving an average score of 95.31 out of 100 across seven evaluation areas. The assessment covered the period from August to December last year. Asan Medical Center ranked fifth among 47 tertiary hospitals nationwide and received the highest score among Korea’s Big Five hospitals and tertiary hospitals in the Seoul metropolitan area.

The Patient Experience Evaluation is a public participation based assessment conducted by HIRA to promote a patient centered healthcare culture. The latest evaluation surveyed 130,435 patients aged 19 or older who had been hospitalized for at least one day at a total of 376 hospitals, including 47 tertiary hospitals and 329 general hospitals. The assessment evaluated 23 items across seven areas: doctors, nurses, medication and treatment processes, emotional support, patient safety and hospital environment, protection of patient rights, and overall experience.

Asan Medical Center recorded the highest scores among Korea’s Big Five hospitals across all seven evaluation areas, including 97.41 points for overall evaluation, 96.80 points for patient safety and hospital environment, and 96.78 points for the nursing category. Among the individual assessment items, patient identification verification received the highest score at 97.77 points.

Asan Medical Center’s average score across the seven areas increased significantly from 89.92 points in the fourth evaluation to 95.31 points in the latest assessment. In particular, the emotional support category, which reflects a core aspect of the patient experience, rose by 7.6 points, demonstrating meaningful progress in providing comfort and empathy to patients. Notable improvements were also seen in communication and patient participation. Scores for opportunities to meet and speak with doctors increased by 13.40 points, while opportunities to participate in treatment decisions rose by 11.08 points, indicating substantial improvements in patients’ communication with healthcare professionals and involvement in their own care.

▲ Professor Tae-Yon Sung of the Division of Endocrine Surgery at Asan Medical Center (center) answers questions prepared in advance by a patient who underwent thyroid surgery during rounds.

Asan Medical Center actively incorporates initiatives such as the rounding notification system, rounding questionnaires, and patient centered communication guidelines into the care process, while providing tailored training for each department based on the results of ongoing patient experience assessments. The hospital also works to improve the patient environment through initiatives such as the Hospital Environment Improvement Subcommittee and regular facility inspections, identifying and addressing issues from the perspective of patients and visitors.

President Seung-Il Park of Asan Medical Center said, “These results are an achievement made possible by all members of Asan Medical Center, rather than by any single department. As we always have, I hope everyone will continue to uphold our unwavering commitment and sincere care for our patients.”

Meanwhile, the sixth Patient Experience Evaluation is scheduled to be conducted from September to November this year, targeting 887 hospitals with 100 or more beds.