Qualtrics finds operational friction lowers patient recommendation scores by up to 37 points

• Qualtrics' State of Patient Experience 2026 report, published Nov. 12, found operational friction reduced healthcare recommendation scores by 30–37 points.
• The analysis covered more than 43,100,000 patient encounters, identifying operational delays and poor handoffs as the largest drivers of score declines.
• Ambulatory surgery recommendation scores dropped to 51.8 among patients reporting friction, compared with 88.7 among those without friction.
• Planned versus unplanned admission ratings differed by 18.2 points at bottom-quartile hospitals, versus 8.9 points at top-quartile hospitals.
• Units with strong employee-reported teamwork were 1.9 times as likely to earn top patient experience ratings, highlighting coordination's importance.

Disclaimer: This news brief was created by Public Technologies (PUBT) using generative artificial intelligence. While PUBT strives to provide accurate and timely information, this AI-generated content is for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as financial, investment, or legal advice. Qualtrics International Inc. published the original content used to generate this news brief on November 12, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained therein.