All medical services are meant to improve the lives of patients in some way. But do you know how your patients actually feel about the services your practice offers? In this article, we’re going to discuss how you can learn what your clients really want and how to give it to them!
Show Them a Full Menu
Imagine ordering at a restaurant without looking at the menu first. While you could just order the most popular dish, you might be missing out on something great! The same idea should be applied to your medical practice.
New patients often come in for an annual check-up or to deal with a specific issue. Without educating them on the full spectrum of services you offer, they might never know about all their options.
At our offices, we have a video presentation detailing the myriad of services we provide. All new patients can watch this introduction before their first appointment. The first step in knowing what your patients think of your services is to paint them a picture of what’s possible.
Follow-up for Feedback!
Once they’ve experienced your practice and know what you have to offer, it’s time to follow up. Patient feedback can be gathered through surveys, reviews, and in-office suggestions. These opinions, requests, and recommendations are extremely valuable to the long-term success of your practice.
Doctors and staff are often too close to the situation to see the aspects of a practice that patients notice immediately when they walk through the doors. By inquiring about their experiences, you gain perspective that you might’ve never had before. This information is fuel for improvement!
Apply What You Learn
At our practices, we review patient feedback for at least one hour once a month. If a customer had a complaint or issue, we ensure that it has been properly resolved. We look at the data collected from surveys to see how we can improve our patients’ experiences. Online reviews, such as those found on Yelp, Facebook, Google, etc., are also good indicators of how we’re doing.
After considering all feedback, we discuss how we could better serve our patients and make a plan to implement improvements. This is the most important part of collecting this information﹘ acting on what you’ve learned.
What Else Can You Offer?
While many strategic business growth plans hinge on gaining new patients, there are also ways to grow by simply serving the customers you already have. While gathering feedback from patients, inquire about services they’d like to see offered at your practice. Once your clients have spoken, consider what suggestions you could viably offer.
As long as you can maintain a top-tier level of quality care while providing additional services, they can have a very positive impact on your business. Patients who come to you for multiple reasons are more likely to stay loyal to your practice. In addition, they will probably recommend one of your many services to a friend or relative. This, in turn, results in new patients!
