A touchpoint is any point of contact patients have with your service. A hotspot is a touchpoint that you can improve quickly and easily and has significant impact on patient experiences.
Touchpoints may be tangible or provide tangible evidence of service.These include letters and brochures, websites, signage, equipment for patients (such as gowns) and even the appearance of facilities. Personal interactions (both words and actions) are often important touchpoints too, because they are crucial to service experiences.
In healthcare services, improvement ideas often involve changes to an existing touchpoint, such as using better pictures in an existing brochure. They may also involve new touchpoints, such as using videos instead of brochures to communicate with patients.
Why use it
This tool helps you understand exactly what makes your service work for patients.
Knowing which touchpoints patients value most helps you decide which areas to prioritise for improvement, and how best to do so.
When to use it
The best time to use this tool is after you have developed an understanding of patient experiences and a selection of improvement ideas.