Almost 75% of people report asking friends and family for referrals for doctors or other healthcare professionals. Maintaining patient satisfaction is necessary for your medical practice to grow. Here are the top five ways you can improve your client’s satisfaction.
1 Strategically Schedule Appointments
People who feel it is simple to make an appointment with their healthcare provider report higher levels of customer satisfaction than those who don’t. Schedule appointments based on your patient’s needs. For example, annual physicals are typically longer than same-day, sick-care appointments. You need the additional time to perform a more in-depth examination. Be sure to leave enough appointments for same-day care so patients know how concerned you are about their health.
2 Communicate Clearly
Many doctors focus on medical terminology when describing health concerns or conditions. Keep in mind that your patients are usually not medical professionals. Find simple, non-medical phrases to help your patients understand your diagnosis. Models or posters can help your patients understand how your treatment plan improves their quality of life.
3 Encourage Follow-Up
Patients should be encouraged to rate their care through an online or phone review. If any ratings are not acceptable, call to speak with the patient. Find out why the client gave a less-than-perfect score. These are also ideal times to reinforce the treatment and care plan.
4 Treat Your Patient as a Person
Understanding your client’s lifestyle is critical to understanding their health. The daily responsibilities of an accountant differ from those of an automotive mechanic. Don’t hesitate to ask questions about how they spend their day and use that information to build a better treatment plan. Some questions you may ask include:
- How many hours a day do you sit?
- Are you around loud tools throughout the day?
- What and when do you eat?
- Are there any behavioral changes you would like to make?
- What is the most stressful thing you experienced this month?
5 Hire Customer Service Superstars
Your office staff are the first and last people your patients see during their visit. They schedule the appointments, handle insurance processing, and collect payments. Hire professionals who meet or exceed your expectations of behavior. Build training programs that help your employees see that providing excellent customer service is critical to your clinic’s success.
Implementing these things will help you boost patient satisfaction scores across all categories. Referrals will grow when your patients have consistent and superb customer service experiences.
