Communication matters, a lot

It is a striking realization the number of health care’s problems related to communication, or the blatant lack there of.  Most recent example from Press Ganey (pdf) (oft-inflated, high 5s!, another argument for another day) patient satisfaction data:

…patients’ top priorities are how well they were kept informed about delays, how well the staff cared about them as people and how well their pain was controlled. It also mattered if the waiting room was comfortable.

Patient experience matters more every day.