Most medical professionals make their patient’s experience a priority to ensure that the individual is satisfied with their appointments and treatments. The level of the patient’s experience influences the trust that is established and how well they communicate and listen to the practitioner. If you want to enhance a patient’s experience and have better patient reviews, there are a few necessary tips to follow.
1. Offer Charging Stations
This step is not strictly necessary, but is definitely a practical convenience for patients. Allow your patients to stay connected to their smartphones and tablets with multiple charging stations that are provided in the waiting rooms and are free to use. If their devices are charged, they can easily keep their loved ones updated on their condition. Patients will also have more patience with the wait times when they can use their electronic devices to stay busy and distracted.
2. Show Empathy
Medical professionals should practice having empathy and compassion when a patient isn’t feeling well. Practice empathy by making eye contact, using a kind tone of voice, and sitting or standing with an open posture. Allow for enough time to talk with patients about their individual situation. Follow up with patients later, either through a phone call or an email, to show that you care about the individual’s well-being and their experience with your medical facility. Be open to suggestions for improvement.
3. Provide Flexible Visiting Hours
Evidence suggests that most patients, visitors, and medical staff have been shown to prefer protected mealtimes, limited numbers of visitors per patient, set visiting hours, and a set quiet time in place. However, many patients and visitors disagree with staff about the policies on limiting visitors and visiting hours, arguing that the policies are too inflexible. For example, in a 2008 study, patients and visitors were unsatisfied by the number of visitors allowed to see a patient at any one time. Most patients and visitors agreed that up to 4 visitors at any one time was acceptable, while most staff agreed that only 2 visitors at any one time was acceptable. In order to improve patient satisfaction, consider implementing policies that are more generous with visiting hour flexibility and with the number of visitors permitted to see a patient at once. This ensures that patients, families, and other visitors can have more freedom over their schedule and their time.
4. Improve Patient Education
Medical professionals can communicate to their patients more effectively with patient education to ensure that they have a better understanding of their condition or prognosis. Again, take time to communicate with patients. Patients who feel rushed by staff during their visit won’t feel like their health is a priority and won’t have the freedom to ask questions about how they can improve their health. To help educate patients about their conditions and medications, provide resources such as pamphlets, videos, websites, and more. This will ensure that the patient feels informed about their individual situation and will build their trust in you and the care you provide.
Enhancing a patient’s experience will benefit the patients, the staff, and the medical facility. Patients will develop loyalty for medical providers that show they care, and they will be more likely to return when they need additional medical services.
Resources:
