Healthcare providers often focus on outcomes. They try to make correct diagnoses and choose effective treatments that lead to the best possible outcome for the patient.
While patients desire a high level of care when visiting healthcare facilities, people’s expectations are complex and are typically informed by cultural and social factors, past experiences and the environment. In addition to treatment by healthcare providers, patients may be frustrated by red tape, billing confusion, poor interactions with front-of-clinic staff or a lack of communication at any point during treatment.
However, patients who experience good medical customer service in every stage of their treatment may feel more satisfied, which can affect the bottom line for healthcare organizations.
Here is a closer look at the role of patient experiences in healthcare and the ways providers can improve customer service.
The importance of customer experience in healthcare
If healthcare organizations earn the trust and loyalty of patients thanks to quality customer service, they might enjoy repeat visits and continually grow their customer base.
Repeat visits are extremely important in the healthcare sector. Patients returning to the same facility repeatedly over a five-year period can be up to 377 times more profitable than one-time visitors who don’t return, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
Patients who have positive experiences and feel they were treated fairly by medical staff will leave positive reviews online and offer personal recommendations to friends and family. Despite the rise in online reviews, word-of-mouth recommendations remain very important for new patient acquisition.
Customer service can also benefit more than the patients and the healthcare facility itself — staff members may also benefit through a more positive culture. If healthcare professionals are willing to cultivate a positive attitude with patients, they’re more likely to bring the same attitude to interactions with other staff members and create an upbeat work environment. Research shows that a positive culture can improve work performance and increase employee retention.
Develop clear communication protocols
Medical customer service requires behind-the-scenes coordination and effective communication with patients during each step in their healthcare journey.
Healthcare organizations can establish communication platforms and protocols for collecting and sharing information about patients. This information should include insights about a patient’s needs, diagnostic and treatment steps already taken and what was communicated with the patient. The organization needs to ensure that the handling of this data meets regulatory requirements, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which protects patient privacy.
In addition to systems and protocols for communicating about patient care, the organization should provide guidelines for interacting with patients. These may include steps for explaining treatments and diagnoses and giving each patient a single point of contact for any questions or concerns related to billing, appointments or treatments.
Offer continued training for employees
To remain competitive in a dynamic industry, healthcare organizations could incorporate new treatments, equipment and techniques to improve outcomes or offer less invasive options for patients. To offer innovative techniques and procedures, however, healthcare organizations can look to offer professional development opportunities for staff members to learn the ins and outs of each prospective treatment.
In addition to the benefits for patients, professional development helps employees, too. A recent survey by the Conference Board found that 96% of workers highly value continuous development and 58% would consider leaving an employer that didn’t offer educational opportunities. If healthcare organizations fail in this regard, they may experience a high turnover rate which can further impact the overall patient experience.
Encourage a culture of learning
A culture of lifelong learning can also help organizations continuously improve their customer service performance. Staff can assess overall performance and find areas where they need to make improvements. For instance, medical professionals can take courses to increase their knowledge of different cultures to better understand how to communicate with and treat patients from diverse backgrounds.
A strong framework for continuing education and upskilling can help an organization address customer service shortcomings and offer the best possible treatment options. These programs can also benefit employees and the organization.
Collect feedback from patients
Patient feedback can provide insights that aren’t evident from appointment numbers and outcome data.
A holistic analysis of feedback data can reveal patterns. If multiple patients have the same complaints, an organization may realize it must make changes to address the issue. The feedback can also offer insights into evolving patient expectations or needs that aren’t being met. Common areas for improvement could include responsiveness of staff members, misunderstandings and unaddressed concerns.
An organization can encourage feedback by conducting surveys, asking patients to fill out post-appointment questionnaires, or offering multiple avenues for feedback, such as online forms, paper surveys or feedback hotlines.
Implement a service recovery strategy
Service recovery focuses on fixing problems that lead to patient dissatisfaction, according to the AHRQ. The goal is to address problems and make amends with the patient so that they continue to use the healthcare service in the future.
This process requires taking a constructive view of patient complaints rather than trying to defend the organization or justify the mistakes. Then, the organization can offer to correct any mistake and provide incentives, such as discounts or free services, to compensate the patient for the frustration, pain or inconvenience they suffered.
Service recovery often requires reviewing solutions and rewards with the patient to see if they were effective in restoring their trust in the organization. Administrators might consider adding service recovery training programs to educate employees in suitable techniques.
Use technology to optimize touchpoints
Convenience is a key component of positive customer service experiences. Patients may become frustrated if they have to wait on hold or stand in line to make appointments or ask questions.
Technology can streamline many healthcare interactions. For example, organizations can utilize applications or software that connect patients with online scheduling, test results and doctor’s notes. Also, messaging features allow patients to ask questions to providers or billing specialists without having to wait on a phone or visit the clinic.
Organizations providing general medical services might also consider using telemedicine platforms to allow patients needing basic medical advice or services to make virtual appointments using video conferencing software. Not only does this reduce time spent driving to the clinic and waiting for an appointment, but it also gives healthcare providers more time to focus on patients needing more complex in-person care.
Examples of excellent customer service in healthcare
Customer service protocols will vary depending on the type of healthcare services an organization provides, their size, location and other factors. Here are five scenarios that commonly occur in healthcare settings and how staff can use them as opportunities to offer excellent customer service.
Connecting patients with mental health care providers
Research shows that more than 54% of people with a mental health condition do not receive psychological services.
Facilitating this type of care through appointments or referrals can make it more accessible, remove perceived stigmas and show a commitment to total patient well-being. General healthcare practitioners can also provide a holistic perspective — which also includes an evaluation of a patient’s mental well-being — to help make this kind of care more accessible as well.
Celebrating patient birthdays and other significant life events
Celebrating major milestones like birthdays, wedding anniversaries or other important events can show that the healthcare organization cares about patients as people rather than seeing them as customers.
Such recognition can be important for people needing long-term care or ongoing treatment for chronic or severe illnesses. They spend a lot of time in healthcare facilities and may have limitations that may make celebrations difficult outside of a healthcare setting.
Comforting patients’ friends and family members
Healthcare professionals focus on patients, but they can also offer comfort and consolation to the family members of seriously ill patients. This step ensures these loved ones feel supported by the staff.
In addition to offering general comfort, the healthcare organization can institute protocols to guide communications with family members to ensure they remain informed on the condition of their loved one.
Educating family members about patients’ health issues
Family members are likely concerned about their loved one’s health issues. In addition to information about prognosis, treatment options and potential outcomes, they may need to know vital details about how to provide care and support if the patient returns home.
These communications require clarity and consistency so the family has correct expectations and understands their role in the recovery. Healthcare organizations can also offer resources and provide a single point of contact should the family members have questions.
Offering a support hotline for non-emergency situations
A support hotline, medical messaging platform or other convenient communication features can help patients get questions answered and basic medical problems solved without an appointment. It can also serve as a point of contact for patients who are unsure if their issue requires in-person service.
These services provide convenience, and they also help connect patients to the facility so that they are more likely to visit for in-person medical services.
With a comprehensive plan and protocols, a healthcare organization can offer excellent service to patients and create a system for continuously improving customer satisfaction.