“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest sources of learning.” –Bill Gates
Have you ever taken a look at your practice’s Facebook, Google or Yelp page to find one of your patient’s has given you a negative review? No matter how wonderful of an experience you provide to patients, chances are there is still room for improvement.
Do you feel like your practice’s processes could be improved upon? Learn how to streamline your practice and reclaim what’s most important to you with our Guide to a Streamlined Practice and Happy Team.
The tiniest of mistakes lead to a poor patient experience and may result in the dreaded complaint. The Huffington Post reported that, according to a survey from the Cleveland Clinic, almost all patients complained that their doctors do something that aggravates them in some way. As Bill Gates said, oftentimes you can learn a lot about your processes and the patient experience from any patient who is dissatisfied with you and your service.
Are you searching for innovative ways to improve patient care and work towards improving patient experience in your hospital or office?
These tips and techniques can help hospitals and practices with improving patient experience for satisfaction on all fronts.
Strive to stay on schedule.
Long waits in the office is one of the top frustrations you hear from patients. Continuously work to enhance office efficiency and delegate appropriately. Also, keeping your patients better informed of wait times can reduce frustration. The ‘unknown’ that comes with wait times is often the factor that can be the most frustrating. Try posting an updated whiteboard in the waiting room that tells patients the current wait times by provider.
Show some respect.
Improving patient experience all starts with a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T (thank you Aretha Franklin). Patients want to be treated like individuals and want you to engage with them on a personal level. They don’t want to feel like another number in your day. Try having your front office take a moment or two when checking patients in to ask them about their day, offer them a compliment or build some rapport. This will both enhance the patient experience and help to build patient loyalty to your office.
Don’t rush it.
Another common patient complaint is feeling rushed, and sensing the doctor was in a hurry. One of the best ways to make a patient feel like their time is important is by sitting down during visits. Don’t forget to take into account your body language as well to make sure you are giving your full attention to the patient.
Now the task of improving patient experience—and providing an exceptional experience at that—is easier than ever with these foundational components. Take some time and begin implementing today!
Do you find your team spending too much time on mundane tasks?
Our Guide to a Streamlined Practice and Happy Team offers insight into several effective tips to streamline your processes which will allow you and your practice to yield the greatest return on investment possible.
Make your job easier and download YOUR GUIDE now!
- More About Dr. Sanders
Dr. Gregory Sanders is a Harvard-trained, practicing cardiologist and founder and CEO of HybridChart. He has been coding since the 1980s and has spent his medical career focusing on improving processes. His patient care skills earned him recognition as one of Phoenix Magazine’s TOP DOCs. He lives in Scottsdale with his family.