Part 3: A Fresh Perspective on What It Means to Be Best in KLAS
This three-part blog series will discuss the Best in KLAS awards from a provider, vendor, and inside-KLAS perspective.
I have now examined the impact of the Best in KLAS awards from both a provide (part 1 of this series) and vendor (part 2) perspective. There is no denying that KLAS data has a significant impact on both of these groups. However, I knew that in order to really understand the meaning of Best in KLAS, I needed to interview the man who started it all, KLAS founder Kent Gale. After all, who could understand the meaning of Best in KLAS better than the person who created it?
What Is Best in KLAS?
When I asked Kent to share what Best in KLAS means from his perspective, he explained that winning a Best in KLAS award essentially means that a vendor has been identified by providers, by the healthcare community, as the vendor that has outperformed the others in a particular space. Through Best in KLAS, providers get to literally “speak to the performance of the vendors they have purchased and the services they have received.” Hearing this from Kent reconfirmed my notion that Best in KLAS is a way for providers to share their experiences and for vendors to be recognized directly through the voice of providers.
Why Is Best in KLAS Important?
I asked Kent to explain to me how the importance of Best in KLAS has changed over time and why KLAS data is so important in the healthcare industry today.
“Originally, many vendors viewed Best in KLAS as purely a promotional tool. Over time, we have seen a huge transition. The meaning of Best in KLAS has changed because now there is a lot of energy around ‘I want to beat my competitor’ or ‘I want to be Best in KLAS,’ and who ultimately wins as a result of that energy? The providers. The providers win because the vendors perform better and better every year. The average scores have gone up dramatically over the past 15 years. This tells us that vendors are paying attention to providers’ needs, trying to do better, and setting the bar higher.”
Kent made it clear that the key to Best in KLAS is that it pushes vendors to continually improve, which in turn, benefits providers. Vendors and providers know that it is not KLAS that decides the winners; the providers decide. That’s where the power comes from.
How Does Best in KLAS Make an Impact?
When I asked Kent about the impact of Best in KLAS, he replied that KLAS’ “number-one commandment is that everything we do must benefit providers. What Best in KLAS does is create an environment where providers can find real value in hearing about the experiences of their peers. In the end, providers are able to make better decisions. And how does that impact vendors? Hugely.” Best in KLAS is a platform where providers can speak up and vendors can listen, learn, and improve. Through this collaboration of communication, vendors are able to create better products and providers are able to deliver better care to patients. Better products and better care ultimately mean better overall healthcare, which in the end, is what I discovered Best in KLAS is all about.
It was through this last interview that I was able to put all of the pieces together and walk away with a sound understanding of what it really means to be Best in KLAS. I have learned a lot, and most importantly, I learned that I get to be a part of something much bigger and more important than I had ever imagined.
Follow @KLASresearch on Twitter tomorrow (June 14th) as we announce the Best in KLAS winners and category leaders every half an hour.