Are your patients generally happy to see you, notwithstanding those who are in pain or have anxiety about whatever is bringing them in to see you that day? Successful medical practices can be identified in part by whether they take the time to pay attention to their patients’ wants and needs and whether they will go out of their way to provide the best possible patient experience.
With that in mind, here are five things your patients love to see. If they don’t match up with what you’re currently offering at your practice, you might want to make some adjustments and improve patient morale accordingly.
1. Clean Waiting Room with Amenities
Is the waiting room drab and dreary with ancient magazines stacked haphazardly on tables? Strive to make the waiting room clean, well lit and filled with comfortable furniture.
It wouldn’t hurt to include a television to distract those who are waiting, along with the latest magazines. Offer water, hot beverages and snacks for patients and their families in need of refreshment as part of your overall hospitality.
2. Happy Employees
Patients will relax and feel better when they see that your practice is staffed with happy employees. Good morale is a sign that the practice is well run and not putting too much pressure on the receptionists, nurses, doctors and other members of the team.
3. Evidence of Excellence
You can count on your patients being impressed by the credentials possessed by your medical professionals. This means it’s a good idea to hang up nicely framed diplomas for your physicians in the examination rooms and offices.
You will also want to display important awards and certificates denoting excellence in service. Add newspaper and magazine profiles to the mix to further boost your credibility.
4. Identification
How many times have you gone to the doctor’s office and a nurse treats you brusquely, hustling you over to the scales to weigh you and then quickly sitting you down in the exam room to take vitals?
They move so fast, you don’t get a chance to learn their name. Often when these nurses are in a rush, they forget to make sure the ID pinned to their clothing or hanging around the neck is visible. Patients appreciate seeing the name of the person taking their pulse and blood pressure, so make sure each staffer’s ID is clearly visible throughout the workday.
5. Computerized Systems Instead of a Clipboard Full of Pages to Fill Out
No one wants to sit around filling out a stack of paper documents when they first become a patient at your practice. Instead, implement a patient portal with your EHR. Patients can sign in to the portal and then enter their information just once instead of having to provide their name, contact information and medical details multiple times on different forms.
Satisfied patients are crucial for bringing in even more patients through referrals and word of mouth. By paying attention to the kinds of things your patients love to see and then making sure they are available, it will do wonders for improving their mood as well as the confidence they have in your staff.
Key Takeaway
- Your medical practice’s waiting room is usually the first thing patients will see, so make sure it is in tip-top shape and provides plenty of amenities.
- You’ll be wise to showcase signs of staff excellence, from properly framed diplomas on the walls of examination rooms to citations and awards.
- When your employees are clearly satisfied or even look happy about being on the job, it will reassure patients and make them feel welcome and well cared for.
- Impress upon your staff the importance of identifying themselves to patients, either verbally or by keeping their ID badges clearly visible at all times.
- Implementing a patient portal through your medical practice’s EHR system means you can let patients fill out their intake documents electronically instead of having to fill out multiple redundant forms.
