How to Increase Patient Comfort

Focusing on patient comfort is key to improving patient satisfaction and hospital ratings. Creating a comfortable environment doesn’t just make a patient’s experience more pleasant—it can speed up recovery, reduce stress, and enhance patient outcomes. In this post, we’ll explain the difference between patient comfort and patient experience, and share practical ways to improve comfort in your facility.

Understanding Patient Comfort vs. Patient Experience

Patient experience covers everything from check-in to discharge, including care quality, wait times, food service, cleanliness, and interactions with staff. It’s a broad view of the patient’s journey, and whether a stay was positive or negative.

Patient comfort, zeroes in on two key aspects:

1. Physical Comfort: Managing pain, maintaining clean and calming surroundings, and ensuring their basic needs (like bedding and room temperature) are met.
2. Emotional Comfort: This is about making patients feel safe, supported, and at ease through personal interactions, clear communication, and emotional care.

Improving both physical and emotional comfort enhances the patient experience and influences outcomes, recovery times, and HCAHPS scores.

Why Does Patient Comfort Matter? 

Patient comfort plays a significant role in healing. More importantly, patient comfort directly impacts outcomes. A stressed or uncomfortable patient may face longer stays and delayed healing, while a comfortable, well-cared-for patient often recovers faster and with fewer complications. For hospital leaders, patient experience scores affect funding, reviews, and even staff morale.

7 Ways to Improve Patient Comfort

1. Create a Clean and Inviting Environment

Unpleasant environments can stress patients and slow recovery.  A study conducted in 23 hospitals found that nearly 19% of patients reported odors, affecting comfort. Prioritizing cleanliness and eliminating odors helps patients relax and focus on healing.

2. Use the AIDET Method for Familiarity and Trust

The AIDET method (Acknowledge, Introduce, Duration, Explanation, and Thank You) builds trust and reduces anxiety by fostering familiarity with environmental services (EVS) staff and patient ambassadors. Consistently scheduling patient ambassadors ensures patients see a familiar face and receive continuous, personalized care. 

3. Offer Comforting and Nutritious Food

Food should be comforting and cater to dietary needs without compromising taste. Rather than offering bland allergen-free options, consider naturally allergen-free options like mashed potatoes or rice. Providing satisfying meals helps alleviate stress about dietary restrictions, enhancing overall comfort.

4. Customize Comfort Items

Offering a range of bedding options (mattress toppers, pillows, blankets) allows patients to control their sleep environment. This is especially important for those dealing with anxiety or discomfort, helping them feel more in control and at ease during their stay.

5. Improve the Hospital Atmosphere

Hospitals can be loud and disruptive, especially at night. To help patients sleep better, consider offering earplugs and sound machines. Natural light also boosts mental health, so make sure curtains are opened regularly to let light in. These small changes create a more peaceful and healing environment.

6. Emotional Comfort and Familiarity

Encouraging patients to bring things from home like their favorite pillow, blanket, or essential oil diffuser, reduces anxiety and homesickness. Empowering patients to speak up about their needs also boosts their emotional well-being, aiding recovery.

7. Involve Loved Ones

Family and friends play a crucial role in reducing stress. Facilitating frequent visits strengthens social support, enhancing patient comfort and mental health.

Patient comfort goes beyond providing quality medical treatment to create an environment where patients feel at ease physically and emotionally. By making cleanliness a priority, offering nutritious and comforting food options, personalizing comfort items, and fostering familiarity with staff, hospitals can significantly improve patient recovery, satisfaction, and HCAHPS scores.