Healthcare providers have shifted their focus to more patient-centered care models in recent years, which has left many examining methods for improving the overall patient experience at their practices. They have discovered that excellent care is one element that attracts patients, but positive personal experiences are what build patient loyalty. Improving the overall patient experience at your practice will help you retain patients and encourage them to recommend you to others as a competent and caring healthcare provider. Here are three ways to improve your patients’ experience to keep them comfortable and coming back for care over the long-term.
1. Be welcoming.
A welcoming practice is visually appealing, with a clean and comfortable office, from the reception area to the exam rooms. Your practice changes over time, but has no doubt changed more quickly and significantly than ever in the last several months since the onset of the global pandemic. But creating and maintaining a peaceful and relaxing environment—even with the addition of hand sanitizing stations, screens, and masks—is still possible.
Another consideration is the influence of your digital presence on patients. Because patients in this day and age get their first impressions from your online identity, you need a well-designed website that is patient-friendly and welcoming as it provides details about your practice. (These details should include provider credentials, a list of services offered, and the location and open hours of your practice.) Ensuring that information is easy to access is key. You might even consider adding access to paperwork and an online appointment system for patients to use.
2. Make sure you are available for care.
Make sure that patients can get in contact with you or a practice representative via a straightforward, easy process. Having a well-managed appointment scheduling system is step one, followed by maintaining that schedule efficiently—starting and ending on time makes a difference because your patients’ time is just as important as yours.
Note that in your patient-centered practice care means more than just the medical treatment by the healthcare provider; it extends throughout your entire practice and includes every member of staff who interacts with patients. Consider keeping the office and the phone lines open throughout the workday, staggering staff schedules so that someone is always available to answer questions or otherwise assist patients. Your front office staff should always endeavor to be prompt in answering phone calls and email inquiries so that you can focus on quality care in a timely fashion when treating patients, and they are not left waiting.
3. Be a good communicator and listener.
Communication is key when it comes to patient relationships. Healthcare providers and staff should be as positive and enthusiastic as possible when interacting with patients, offering smiles and making eye contact. They should respond to inquiries or find answers promptly when they do not have them directly. Listening well is also extremely important. Providers and staff should be helpful and confidently comforting, should be sure to communicate clearly, with consideration and respect.
Listening to post-care patient feedback is also vital as it will guide you as you pivot to make even more improvements in the future. Providing different options for collecting feedback shows your genuine interest in the patient experience; offering questionnaires, web forms, social media reviews, etc. communicates to patients that you want to invest in them even before they visit for care.
Ensuring that patients leave your practice satisfied with their care and treatment is important. By focusing on the quality of care you provide and putting the overall welfare of patients as your priority, you better the patient experience. Quick Claimers Medical Billing is a professional medical coding and billing company that can help by organizing and processing your healthcare claims accurately and efficiently, so you can spend as much time as possible providing quality care to your patients. If you would like more information about how Quick Claimers can serve you, please reach out to the professional and caring team. They can be contacted by email at info@qcmbinc.com or via their online form, or by calling 915-351-6600.