In a detailed analysis of online evaluations of patients from hospitalsBrazil’s decoupling found what are the biggest problems in private hospitals in São Paulo. The results were released on Friday (28), with the highest dissatisfaction being the delay in reception (and consequently, in medical care) and the difficulties with parking.
The analysis, based on 26,000 evaluations of patients collected between October and December 2024, evaluated all stages of the Hospital Day, from the search for a doctor to payment and return.
The data reveal that although hospitals perform positively in medical care, structural problems such as disorganized reception and parking difficulties negatively impact the patient’s experience.
Research indicates that improvements in these areas can increase user satisfaction and strengthen the competitiveness of health institutions.
In the satisfaction ranking, the 9 de Julho Hospital received the best assessment, while Prevent Senior hospitals were in the last position.
Greatest pain
The hospital reception was the most criticized aspect by patients. Among the problems pointed out, the research showed that long lines, excessive delay for first care, disorganized screening and lack of clarity in the initial guidelines are the main problems and frustrations for patients.
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According to Leandro Guissoni, co-founder of Decoupling and professor at FGV-SP, the reception is the first contact of the patient with the hospital, and any failure in this process can generate distrust of the quality of care. The negative experience at the entrance impacts the perception of all the service provided.
Another major problem highlighted in the survey was the parking lot: difficulties in finding vacancies, high costs and lack of organization in vehicle flow are the greatest pain in this regard.
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According to Thales Teixeira, founder of Decoupling, “parking may seem like a detail, but it is a critical step for the patient’s experience. It is not just a physical space to leave the car; it is the patient’s first point of contact with the health service.”
Medical consultation is the strong point
Despite the difficulties in receiving and parking, medical care itself was well evaluated, followed by going to the hospital or clinic.
According to Guissoni, the results show that when the focus is on medical care, hospitals can meet or even exceed patients’ expectations.
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“This reinforces that the core of the value chain, direct health care, is the strong point of institutions,” says Guisoni. “The challenge, however, is to ensure that the previous steps, such as reception, waiting and parking, are up to this standard, as they are decisive to consolidate positive perception throughout the experience,” he adds.
What is the best hospital?
The survey pointed out major differences in patients’ perception of evaluated hospitals. The metric used to measure customer satisfaction was the Net Promoter Score (NPS).
The Nove de Julho Hospital was the best rated, with 9.04, while the worst was the Prevent Senior Hospital (6.04).
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Some of the hospitals that participated in the mapping were: 9 de Julho Hospital, Portuguese Beneficence, Santa Paula Hospital, São Camilo Hospital, USP Clinical Hospital, São Luiz Hospital and Maternity and the Prevent Senior Hospitals.
“Of all brands evaluated, Nove de Julho Hospital can serve as a reference for good practices to other hospitals interested in improving customer experience,” says Guissoni.
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Opportunities for improvement
Research indicates that there are opportunities for hospitals to improve the patient’s experience through innovation and process optimization. The reception can be reorganized to reduce queues and streamline care, with more efficient screening and clear communication systems to avoid confusion.
Parking, in turn, can be rethought with strategic partnerships with mobility startups, seeking to improve vehicle flow and reduce costs for patients.
Improvements in these areas would increase users’ satisfaction, as it would also help hospitals differentiate themselves in a highly competitive market.
For Teixeira, the transformation in hospital experience involves seeing each step of care as an essential part of the patient’s journey, not just as isolated administrative processes.
