Healthcare organizations today are placing greater emphasis on Likelihood to Recommend (LTR) because it reflects a patient’s overall experience, trust, and perception of care. Press Ganey and other survey partners now highlight LTR as a primary benchmark for patient experience performance, and many clinical teams discuss it regularly in huddles and leadership meetings.
National patient experience trends show that LTR dropped sharply after the pandemic but began improving again in 2024.
As hospitals work to rebuild patient trust, there is growing interest in effective comfort interventions that support both clinical outcomes and the patient experience.
One increasingly adopted approach is clinical aromatherapy, which can help patients feel calmer, more comfortable, and more supported throughout their perioperative journey.
Recent findings from one facility demonstrate how clinical aromatherapy using Elequil Aromatabs® aromatherapy can play a meaningful role in improving key patient experience indicators, including LTR.
Why LTR Is a Critical Patient Experience Metric
LTR reflects how patients feel about the care they received and whether they would recommend the facility to others. It captures whether patients felt supported, comfortable, informed, and well cared for.
When patients feel less anxious, experience less queasiness, and perceive that their symptoms are managed effectively, they are more likely to recommend the facility to others.
Because of this, hospitals are looking more closely at nonpharmacologic and patient centered comfort strategies that enhance the overall experience. Clinical aromatherapy is increasingly being used in perioperative, procedural, and imaging settings as an easy and meaningful way to support patient comfort.
Clinical Aromatherapy Supports Better Patient Outcomes and Experiences
One poster presentation showed a study of nearly 300 surgical patients over a 90 day period and used clinical aromatherapy for individuals at increased risk of post operative nausea and vomiting. Their results reinforce the connection between comfort, clinical outcomes, and patient experience.
Key results included:
- 26-33% reduction in nausea depending on scent
- Nearly half of patients required no rescue antiemetic
- 61% percent reported clinical aromatherapy helped with nausea or comfort
- 83% said it made their experience more positive
- 29% reduction in Phase 1 PACU length of stay
These findings show that when patients feel more comfortable and less symptomatic, their perception of care improves, which ultimately supports stronger LTR scores.
Additional Evidence: Multi Modal Clinical Aromatherapy Study Strengthens the Case
The findings above were further supported by a comprehensive multi modal study on the use of clinical aromatherapy conducted by J.D Buchert at a large safety net hospital. The paper evaluated three nurse led clinical projects that examined the effects of clinical aromatherapy on pain, anxiety, post operative nausea, and even staff wellness.
Across these projects, clinical aromatherapy consistently demonstrated measurable improvements in patient and staff outcomes.
Highlights from the Buchert study:
- Post operative nausea project (n≈297): Clinical aromatherapy was associated with a 38.9 percent reduction in the need for rescue antiemetics.
- Pain and anxiety project (n≈144): Adjunctive clinical aromatherapy contributed to approximately a 25 to 37 percent reduction in pain scores compared to controls.
- Nurse wellness project (n≈319): Staff using clinical aromatherapy reported a 30 to 49 percent decrease in self reported stress levels.
These results reinforce that clinical aromatherapy is an effective, low burden, nurse driven intervention that positively influences comfort, symptom management, and overall perception of care. When brought together, this evidence base directly supports what drives stronger LTR scores: comfort, decreased symptoms, improved communication, and a calmer, more positive patient experience.
Clinical Aromatherapy Helps Enhance Patient Experience and LTR
As hospitals continue to rebuild patient trust and focus on patient experience performance, many are seeking interventions that are effective, easy to implement, supportive of nursing practice, focused on comfort, and mindful of cost. Clinical aromatherapy fits these needs. It is simple, affordable, and requires minimal workflow adjustments while still providing meaningful comfort for patients.
These studies highlight what many clinicians already observe in daily practice: improving patient comfort can make a significant impact on both how patients feel and how they evaluate their care. As LTR becomes more integral to patient experience strategy, clinical aromatherapy offers a valuable tool for supporting better outcomes and stronger recommendations.
If you would like more information on how Elequil Aromatabs aromatherapy can help increase your LTR scores, email info@beekley.com.
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Megan Sargalski
Marketing Communications Specialist
