Healthcare facilities receive people at their most vulnerable. In such a state, people want nothing short of excellent care and service. Unfortunately, with many people streaming into hospitals and insurance companies, it is easy for healthcare providers and their staff to reduce the patients to mere numbers and lose sight of the individuality of their experiences. That should never be the case. You are perhaps wondering how you can ensure that your customers get the best services. Here are some patient experience tips to improve your healthcare service:
Prioritise better communication with patients and their caregivers
Effective communication is a prerequisite for success in almost all fields there are. Healthcare is not an exception. If anything, there is more need for strong communication in the healthcare industry, seeing as it touches on one of the most invaluable human assets, health. There should be no room for poor communication when safety and patient well-being is at stake. Patient experience improves when you take the time to listen and understand patients’ concerns.
Explaining treatment plans also makes patients feel like active participants in their health. Communication is, therefore, one of the most crucial aspects of patient experience and satisfaction. Communication should extend beyond the patients to their families. Coordinating with the caregivers goes a long way in improving the quality of care for the patient. The patient experience gets better when a healthcare facility and its staff are keen on keeping the families in the loop.
Gauge patient satisfaction using survey tools
There should be a way to monitor feedback and identify areas that could use a few tweaks when the goal is to improve the patient experience. Implementing survey tools is an excellent option for gauging the efficacy of the methods and systems in place to improve the patient experience. Surveys make it easier to track data over time and know what to do more and what to do less.
Implement price transparency
Your services may be the best, but everything means nothing if in the end you slap the patients with an exorbitant bill that they do not know how it came about. Having a medical price transparency initiative is an essential aspect of the patient experience. Furthermore, it is now a legal requirement for healthcare providers.
Let the patients know how much the procedures they get will cost. That way, they can make informed decisions. Breaking down the costs and expenses allows them to assess the individual elements of their treatment. And they can feel like active participants in their treatment, improving patient experience.
Maintain a digital presence
Having a digital footprint is non-negotiable for businesses and organizations in the digital space we live in today. The first place that comes to mind when looking for information is the internet. Ergo, an online presence makes it easier for potential and existing patients to access any information they need.
Patients appreciate when they can find data and information about their health and your facility online. One way to do that is to have an informational and functional website. If you lack the capacity to create a functional website, a social media fan page or Google Map business page should suffice. These make it easier for patients to find you and access relevant information and updates.
Reduce waiting time
Going to the hospital feels like a chore because of the significant chunk of time spent in queues. The wait is more daunting since the people going to hospitals are rarely at their best selves. Any attempt at reducing waiting time will go a long way in improving patient experience. Things will run more smoothly, raising patient satisfaction notches higher. Digitizing check-in and introducing self-service kiosks are excellent strategies for cutting down on waiting time. If you cannot reduce the waiting time any further, consider making the wait more bearable. Redo the waiting area to make it more pleasant. Introduce soothing in the background, TV, and include books and magazines to improve the waiting experience.
Bring your staff on board
Your staff are the first contact point patients have with a healthcare facility. If they do not appreciate the value of patients’ experience, they may not extend it to the patients. Everyone should be on the same page and commit to providing a top-notch patient experience. Organize workshops, conferences, and team-building activities to communicate the customer experience goals and advise on the best practices. Your staff are more likely to offer the best services when they have good morale.
Final remarks
Patient expectations of healthcare facilities are rising. As a healthcare facility, you should tap more into technology for a top-draw customer experience. It is vital to keep assessing how your customers feel to improve your services. Remember, exceptional patient experience is an irreducible minimum for the healthcare sector.