Owning a private clinic means you’re against some pretty tough competition in the shape of many different clinics or some state-run institutions. Getting comfortable with the reputation and the number of faithful patients you’ve acquired doesn’t mean you should abandon all efforts to make your clinic an even better place.
Working with people, is demanding and requires a lot of concentration, precision (especially with scheduling), and good communication. So, you can make sure that everyone’s needs are met. This is particularly the case with clinics. People who come to you for health-related services are often in a weakened state, either physically or mentally.
When patients want to select a physician, they consider lots of different factors in addition to their doctors’ expertise. In this article, we’re going to propose to you five recommendations on how you can improve the patient experience in your clinic. If you consider them, your patients will come back if they need health services in the future. Also, they will be more willing to recommend you to their friends. Here’s the deal.
1) Minimize Bureaucracy in Your Clinic
Whether you’re running a fruit shop on the corner of the street or a large state-run company dealing with taxes, one thing is sure – the best way to annoy and estrange your existing and potential customers is to wrap them in a bunch of red tapes. The same goes for health establishments.
If your clinic should not make your patients to jump through all sorts of hoops to find their health problem. If it happens, you’re not going to have that many patients for much longer. What you want to do to avoid this is to cut down the bureaucracy and the paperwork to the minimum. This way, your patients can access your healthcare services quickly and easily.
2) Make Communication Better in Your Medical Practice
The reason many people are reluctant to go to the doctor is often not because they fear the potential diagnosis. But it is because of the long waiting times, the dreary atmosphere, and the cold reception by the staff. This can affect any clinic that doesn’t pay attention to their patients and only looks to earn money.
What you want to give your patients other than the health service, would be the attention and the time they deserve, so you can understand their problem properly. Greeting your patients in a friendly manner when they enter your clinic and ensuring they are listened to by your doctors is integral for earning their trust and making them stick to your clinic for any other health-related needs they may have in the future.
3) Organize a Precise Scheduling System in Your Clinic
Proper communication and friendliness will certainly help your staff develop a decent professional relationship with the patients. But no amount of small talk and smiling can replace on-time appointments.
Of course, some examinations take longer than others, so you can never be sure your patients will be admitted on time. That said, you should aim to make your scheduling system as precise as possible, so you can prevent unnecessary loss of time, as well as your patients getting nervous because they had to wait more than they expected.
4) Improve the Interior of the Clinic
One of the ways to improve the patients’ experience in your clinic would be to set up a pleasant interior that would promote tranquility.
Of course, the effects of well-maintained walls and furniture are not shallow. A well-refurbished and tidy place will make your patients think that your establishment is competent, wealthy, and well-organized. So, if you can pair up a well-oiled scheduling system with a clinic interior design that promotes calmness and sedateness in your staff and patients, you will already make great progress in terms of how your patients perceive you.
5) Provide Some Suitable Entertainment
… such as magazines, newspapers, and perhaps the most useful of all – Wi-fi.
Enabling your patients to spend their time waiting for their appointment is essential for keeping them happy. This way, they will be interested in coming back to your health establishment again. (This would especially be a good idea for larger clinics where waiting times are longer than half an hour or so.)
All in all, as long as the people who enter your clinic don’t get bored, you’ll have a satisfied patient.
