Evidence and politics of patient experience in Ontario: The perspective of healthcare providers and administrators

Background Patient experience has a direct impact on patients' engagement in healthcare, their commitment to treatment plans, and their relationship with their healthcare providers, all of which can impact their health outcomes. The complexity of the healthcare system, the increasing health needs of the population, and the priority and knowledge differences among healthcare stakeholders impact how they conceptualize and seek to achieve the ideal patient experience and the weights that they give to different elements of this experience. Aims This study sought to understand the perspectives of healthcare providers and administrators in Ontario regarding the factors affecting the patient experience. Materials & Methods Qualitative data were collected between April 2018 and May 2019. Twenty‐one semi‐structured interviews were conducted. Interviewees included physicians, nurses, optometrists, dietitians, quality managers, and policymakers. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data, utilizing and extending a previously developed patient experience framework. Results Several themes emerged in the data, and they represent two perspectives on patient experience: the biomedical perspective, which prioritizes health outcomes and gives high weights to healthcare experience factors that can be controlled by healthcare providers, while ignoring other factors, and the sociopolitical perspective, which recognizes the impacts of healthcare politics and the social context of health on patient experience in Ontario. Conclusion The study is timely in light of the current changes in the Ontario healthcare system and the healthcare reform started by the new government, as it sheds light on the possible negative impact of healthcare policy and politics on patient experience.