In 1915, Abigail Geisinger, widow of iron magnate George Geisinger, donated a fortune to build a regional hospital in Northeastern Pennsylvania  modeled on the Mayo Clinic. The Geisinger Health System provides healthcare to more than 2.6 million people in Pennsylvania. The system has gained national recognition as a model for delivery of high quality integrated healthcare.

Geisinger President and CEO, Dr. David Feinberg, has announced a new app, the Geisinger ProvenExperience, to guarantee patient satisfaction. After a patient has a treatment at the hospital, he or she can use the app to provide feedback, and then decide whether to request a refund. The refund page shows the cost of the treatment and has a sliding scale to allow a partial refund.

I am not so sure about the refund concept for healthcare. There are a lot of variables. Asking for immediate feedback is a very good thing. Dr. Feinberg likened healthcare to a coffee at Starbucks where you can get a replacement beverage or a refund if you are not happy. Geisinger has made a bold move with the guarantee idea. Hospitals should not assume they cannot be disrupted like the taxi and hotel industries have been. I look forward to learning how the ProvenExperience goes. Source: Geisinger announces satisfaction guarantee, or money back.

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