International Patient Experience Standard

Clear, accountable PX governance — owned at executive, clinical and operational levels.

Governance determines whether patient experience is protected or vulnerable. This pillar examines whether PX ownership is clearly defined and documented, whether leadership prioritises it visibly, and whether escalation, decision-making and performance frameworks consistently treat the patient’s experience as a board-accountable outcome rather than an aspiration.

Dignity, emotional sensitivity and human connection throughout the care journey.

Compassion is a core clinical behaviour, not a discretionary attitude. This pillar evaluates whether patients consistently experience care as humane, dignified and emotionally safe across every interaction — and whether the organisation treats lapses in tone or emotional harm as opportunities to learn rather than something to defend.

Patients recognised as genuine partners in decisions about their care.

Patient insight that directs decisions and resources — not just informs discussion.

Evidence that does not change practice is just storage. This pillar evaluates the breadth and quality of patient experience data — metrics, narratives, complaint themes and safety signals — and, crucially, whether that insight actually determines decisions, prioritisation and accountability, rather than simply informing conversation.

A culture set by leadership behaviour, sustaining the workforce that delivers care.

Patient experience is delivered by people within a culture — and culture is demonstrated through what leaders do, not what they say. This pillar examines whether leaders model the behaviours that set cultural standards, whether staff are capable, confident and psychologically safe, and whether the organisation invests in the workforce on which every other pillar depends.

Equal behavioural treatment for every patient, regardless of identity or circumstance.

Patient experience excellence is incompatible with inequitable care. This pillar assesses whether all patients receive fair, dignified treatment regardless of identity, background, status, language, disability or perceived difficulty — and whether the organisation actively identifies, measures and reduces disparities in access, treatment and outcome for its most vulnerable groups.

Communication that lets patients understand what is happening, why, and what comes next.

Trust is built or lost in the moments of communication. This pillar evaluates whether information enables patients to follow their care journey without confusion, whether communication stays honest during difficult moments, and whether the organisation reliably does what it tells patients it will do.

Innovation that solves real, evidenced problems — and includes everyone it affects.

Innovation is meaningful only when it solves real problems and includes the people it impacts. This pillar examines whether new approaches — including digital and AI-enabled care — address needs identified by patients, staff and evidence rather than enthusiasm-driven ideas, and whether they are introduced without widening access gaps or compromising the dignity of patients least able to navigate change.

Physical, emotional, procedural and environmental safety that protects dignity.

The environment of care is part of the experience. This pillar assesses whether physical spaces support privacy, dignity and safe emotional space — not just clinical delivery — alongside accessibility, infection control, and the procedural and psychological safety of patients and staff alike.

Patient experience treated as a structured learning system, not an occasional topic.

Excellence is sustained through learning, not declared through compliance. This pillar evaluates whether the organisation runs patient experience as a structured learning system — formal review cycles, clear ownership and tracked actions — integrating learning from incidents and near-misses, openness to external benchmarking, and a visible discipline of continuous improvement.

A patient journey connected end-to-end — across services, transitions and time.

Patients experience a journey, not a series of departments. This pillar examines whether care is connected end-to-end — across primary, secondary and community settings, across digital and physical channels, and across the handoffs and transitions where experience is most often lost — with the continuity and emotional joining-up that removes experience gaps.

Predictable, equitable access with clear routes that respect patients’ time and energy.

Access is a precondition of every other dimension of experience. This pillar assesses whether access is predictable and reachable, with clear routes to start, continue and complete each stage of care — examining waiting times, pathway efficiency, equity across populations and geographies, and the administrative friction borne by patients and carers that the organisation should continuously design out.

Evaluate your PX maturity using the Experience Excellence Index

Apply the IPEXS PX-DNA Framework across your organisation

Track progress through structured patient experience criteria

Achieve formal certification to IPEXS

Build a culture of continuous patient experience improvement