From patient to guest: Improving customer service in healthcare

Convenience

Consumers are comfortable booking travel online with a few clicks of the mouse. But patients often do a lot of legwork before they set foot in a practice. Whether it’s navigating phone trees, waiting on hold, or going back and forth with insurance companies, the process can be lengthy.

A patient portal can improve the customer experience in healthcare.  

Using a portal, patients can request appointments, fill out forms online ahead of their visit, and update insurance information.

Check out our blog series to read more about unlocking the power of the patient portal.

A pleasant stay

Think back to your most recent hotel visit. Did you receive a friendly greeting at the reception desk? Did special touches make you feel appreciated?  

Reading materials, bottled water, and comfortable furniture can make your waiting room more inviting. Still, no matter how pleasant the setting, a long wait will detract from the experience.

Patients appreciate communication and transparency. If they know upfront how long they should expect to wait — from a staff member who treats them with courtesy — the delay will cause less stress.

Check out this blog post for more on managing wait times.  

When hotels offer shops and restaurants, it spares guests a trip down the street. Adding services to your practice gives patients greater convenience. 

Teverbaugh Croland & Mueller OB/GYN & Associates has considered bringing mammography in-office. It already offers aesthetic skin services and non-invasive body contouring.

“That way, it will be a one-stop shop,” said Billing Manager Tammy Barker. “That's what we're looking for, for our patients — to incorporate everything so they feel like they can come to one place and be completely satisfied.”

"That's what we're looking for, for our patients — to incorporate everything so they feel like they can come to one place and be completely satisfied.”

Tammy Barker, Billing Manager at Teverbaugh Croland & Mueller OB/GYN & Associates

Word gets around

When you treat patients like guests, they are more likely to give your practice a positive review online.

For patients looking to speak out, the internet provides a platform, as this blog post describes. Even if your practice doesn’t use social media, patients can sound off on Google, Yelp, Healthgrades, and other review sites.

Prospective patients are listening. Online reviews influence 63.6% of consumers seeking a primary care physician, according to customer feedback platform ReviewTrackers. This level of influence is the second-highest of any industry.

In healthcare, as in other industries, convenience, customer service, and reputation matter.

Practices have followed the lead of hospitality organizations … and yours can too.