6 Tips to Better Your Practice and Increase Patient Satisfaction

Improving your practice is better for everyone–you, your staff, and your patients. It’s about saving time on menial tasks and focusing on improving the entire patient experience. Improving this leads to better health outcomes, higher patient retention, and increased revenue. Today, we are taking a look at 6 management tips that improve the patient experience and elevate your practice.

1 | Improve the Lobby Experience

The lobby and waiting room experience is just as important as the care and attention you give in the exam room. To improve the patient experience from the moment they walk in the door, try these tips:

1. Hire a reputable cleaning company that works with healthcare and dental facilities and knows not only how to clean exam rooms the right way, but also keeps your lobby area and waiting room clean. On days when the weather is bad, or during cold and flu season, be sure to train front desk staff to clean up a few times during the day to keep the lobby area clean and healthy. 
2. Focus on high-quality training for your front desk staff. They are the first to greet your patients and underestimating the impact they have on the patient experience is at your own risk! Make sure to give them time-saving tips and training on how to handle disgruntled patients.
3. Reduce wait times by analyzing and optimizing your patient flow. Some options for helping you automate this process include digital check-in, which allows patients to complete paperwork ahead of time to help minimize the time they spend in the waiting room. Another option is to ensure you truly are scheduling enough time between patients so you and your patients never feel rushed! 

2 | Focus on Effective Communication

Effective communication is both clear and empathetic. When you elevate your communication like this, it builds trust and ensures that patients feel heard and respected. Remember, this rule on communication shouldn’t just be for the staff that enters an exam room, but all of your staff and every interaction! To improve communication, your practice should:

1. Be attentive to nonverbal cues.
2. Use clear, simple language and avoid complex medical jargon (from explaining conditions to medical billing conversations).
3. Always allow time for patients to ask questions.
4. Use the patient’s preferred communication channel for reminders and instructions (email, phone call, text, etc.).  

3 | Focus on Education and Patient-Centered Care

Patient education should be a cornerstone of your practice management style. From the exam room to your online presence, you and your staff should have a big focus on patient education. This means explaining things to your patients in clear ways that help them understand their care plan and helps them develop realistic goals while adhering to medical advice. It’s also about sharing educational information in online channels, such as your blog and social media posts, so that patients know they can rely on you for accurate information. Remember to be mindful of language and other barriers, such as hearing impairment. 

Along those same lines, it’s important to offer genuine patient-centered care. This approach makes patients an active participant in their own care. This management style is shown to improve health outcomes and reduce unnecessary procedures. Prioritize leadership commitment, a supportive work environment for staff, and actively involving patients and their families in care decisions. 

4 | Actively Collect and Use Patient Feedback

Listening to your patients goes beyond the exam room. Your practice should have a policy of actively collecting and using patient feedback. By analyzing this information, you get direct insight into what your practice is doing well and areas that can be improved. Formal surveys can be set up to automatically send after a patient visit to show that you value their opinion. 

5 | Automate and Modernize What You Can to Save Time

Automating menial office tasks can free up your staff to help patients more. This can be done with digital scheduling tools and check-in options, software that helps automate paperwork, and more. All of this modernizes your practice and can streamline efficiency. This has been shown to improve access to care and allows you to provide a more high-quality patient experience that elevates your practice. 

6 | Use Rollens!

Finally, use Rollens in the exam room! Rollens is the largest selling wrap-a-round protective lens on the medical market for a reason. Our lightweight post-mydriatic and dental procedure protective eyewear features a unique grip-flex design and contoured shape that gently holds the lens close to the face, offering significantly more protection. When you show patients you care about their safety, you drastically improve the patient experience and elevate your practice.

Key Takeaways

Practice management isn’t just about saving time for your staff, but about improving the overall patient experience. From the moment they connect with your practice to the moment they walk out the door after an exam, your patient should feel safe, welcomed, and informed. Focusing on effective communication, patient-centered care, feedback, and modernizing your practice can elevate your practice, turning new patients into loyal ones who refer their friends and family to you!