5 Ways to Improve the Patient Experience
A decade ago, providing high-quality care was all it took to grow a successful healthcare practice. These days, it takes much more strategy and effort to see the same results. Physicians and their staff must offer an attentive and carefully curated patient experience, from initial consultation to long-term care.
The journey from being a potential patient to a loyal patient can be lengthy. It frequently starts with an online search for a doctor and continues even after they leave their appointment. Being acutely mindful of convenience should be kept in mind throughout the patient journey. Over 50% of patients will select a physician who provides a personalized experience.
Curating a tailored patient experience helps retain patients and boosts patient satisfaction.
Improve Your Patient Experience with These 5 Things
Build a Solid Online Foundation
Your digital presence – your website and healthcare local listing profiles – is often your first impression to potential patients. Instead of visiting a brick-and-mortar office, think of your website as a digital storefront. It serves as a direct reflection of your practice, physicians, and the care you provide.
Your services must be consistent throughout your online platforms and in-office material. Consistent language and branded assets on your website, social media, local listing profiles, and all brochures and printed material will give your practice clear messaging. When patients know what to expect and clearly understand what treatments you offer, there is a likely chance they will schedule an appointment.
Have crisp, professional images of your practice, waiting room, building exterior, exam rooms, and medical devices available across all digital channels.
Keep critical business information updated, like business hours, closures on holidays, providers, and other important updates, to make your practice appear more transparent and trustworthy to potential patients.
Regular and Consistent Communication
Patients are busy. Automated text messages and digital communication help limit the number of no-shows and build a connection with your patients. Provide automated appointment reminders and confirmations. In fact, more than 50% of patients prefer a text message reminder about their upcoming appointment instead of a phone call. These automated messages help send follow-ups. It can also be helpful to send follow-up communication through text or email to allow patients to make additional appointments.
Minimize Office Wait Times
Waiting in a doctor’s office can be somewhat understandable – each patient’s needs differ. However, when other patients feel like their schedules and needs are not prioritized, they are likely to become unhappy. Patients appreciate a short wait to see their doctors only second to their quality care.
Have your front desk staff be transparent with waiting patients and provide approximated wait times to patients when they check in or tell them if the physician is running behind. The honesty and transparency are appreciated.
Appointment Follow-Ups
Follow up with your patients after each appointment using an automated email or text survey. Patients are more likely to voice their opinions about their visit easily if presented with a survey.
A survey is an excellent way to gather positive reviews and testimonials and learn how your practice can improve. Learning about your physicians, office staff, and services through a patient’s eyes can lead to higher patient satisfaction.
Share Knowledgeable and Relevant Information
Use a blog and social media platforms to share educational information relevant to your practice and services. Creating unique content is a great way to provide your target audience with valuable information and build credibility in your industry. Consider what your patients frequently have questions about – treatments provided, therapies you specialize in, what conditions are treated – and unpack those ideas into long-form blog posts or social media posts. Not only does educational content help teach your patients about your practice, but helps increase your ranking and authority on search engines.
Write and share unique content through blog posts and other medical articles or news posts related to your specialty. Always lead patients to your website to gather more information, or use a contact form at the bottom of each post to collect data from inquiring patients.
For help and information on how to grow your medical practice, contact the team at Valet Health to learn about their services, like LaunchPad, Liftoff, Social Media Management, and their newest solution, AutoPilot.