In addition to providing the best medical care, a doctor’s practice should be aiming to achieve a high level of patient satisfaction. When a patient leaves your practice feeling positive about their experience, they are more likely to return in the future and recommend you to their friends and family, which equates to higher revenue. But how do you create a positive patient experience? By focusing on each of the steps of involved, from the moment they book their appointment until they have left. Here are six tips for doctors who want to improve the patient experience at their practice.
- Improve your website
People place a lot of importance on an organization’s website, and it is your opportunity to make a positive first impression. Your website should provide information about your practice, your team, the services you offer, and contact details. It should convey your brand and include positive testimonials from existing patients. Photos of the practice itself as well as your team can also be helpful for people trying to imagine the type of environment you are offering.
- Give patients more control
Your website should also enable patients to book, change, and cancel their own appointments, and request repeat prescriptions. This is not only more convenient for them but also reduces the strain on your receptionists. In addition, if your receptionists spend a lot of time answering the phone responding to the same queries repeatedly, consider including an automated chatbot on the website to respond to frequently asked questions. The website could also enable patients to complete required paperwork online, which saves them (and your team) a lot of time. Visit ShAIp.com for more information.
- Send appointment reminders
Automated appointment confirmations and reminders, sent by text or email, will be helpful to patients. You could send them a confirmation as soon as they have booked an appointment, and then a reminder the day before the appointment. This shows patients that you value them and their time and reminds them to cancel if they cannot make the appointment, saving your practice time and money.
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- Ensure front desk staff are welcoming
When patients arrive, they should be welcomed by smiling, cheerful, and professional staff, and this manner should continue until they leave the practice. This ensures that their experience is a positive one at the beginning, which sets the tone, and at the end, so they have a good lasting impression.
- Create a comfortable waiting area
Patients go to the doctor when they are not feeling well when they are concerned about a potential issue, or for a routine test which could be viewed as an inconvenience. Your waiting area should offer comfortable seating, gentle, relaxing music, lighting which gives a warm glow, and possibly some refreshments. Try to minimize waiting times as much as possible, and when you are running behind, ensure patients are kept informed. The more comfortable you can make patients, the less likely they are to associate your practice with negativity.
- Deliver thorough care with a warm approach
The doctor needs to conduct an extensive examination and call on all their medical knowledge and training to provide the best treatment. Still, they also need to present themselves as a trustworthy and caring person. Professionalism is important, but patients also want to be treated as an individual. Click here for tips on improving your bedside manner.
