Using the experience-based design approach to improve orthodontic care

The experience-based design (ebd) approach is a method of measuring patient experience, which deliberately draws out subjective, emotional and personal feelings of the patients using a service. We describe how the experience-based design approach has been used to measure the experiences of teenage patients at orthodontic consultation appointments in a district general hospital. This has allowed us to identify the points in the patient's journey where they experience most anxiety and nervousness and to target service improvements in these areas. We found the ebd approach effective in measuring patient experience in a teenage patient population. We demonstrate how the service improvements implemented have reduced negative feelings during new patient consultations.