Customer Service

Credentialing can comfort patients

Singing the doctor’s praises can be music to the nervous patient’s ears.

By Elizabeth Holloway, PHR, CPSS

Of their five senses, people often indicate sight is the most vital. Without sight, the door of freedom shuts on many activities. When patients seek an ophthalmologist, they are entrusting their most important sense to this physician. Many patients are nervous when they come to the practice. Patients are scared that something is wrong, and they are worried about someone “fixing” their eyes.

To help minimize patient anxiety, ophthalmic professionals should “credential” their physicians—that is, communicate to the patient the high quality of care that the physician provides. Credentialing can assist in building confidence in new and established patients’ in the practice, and help providers transition care between subspecialties. When establishing a process to credential physicians, ophthalmic professionals can consider the following recommendations and script examples:

Become a believer

The most effective credentialing comes from the heart. Staff members who understand the services provided at the practice and believe in the surgeons’ results provide the strongest testimonials. Ophthalmic professionals should share their enthusiasm about their doctor with patients. While some patients have long-term disease and cannot have sight restored, many eye care patients are made whole again. Staff members can give patients comfort by helping them understand they are in “good hands.”

■ Script example LASIK coordinator: “Just to let you know, Dr. Smith performed my LASIK surgery. I was in the best possible hands and now I can see everything without my glasses! Why don’t we get you scheduled for a consultation, to see if Dr. Smith could do the same for you?”

Know the stats

Ophthalmic professionals should also know their physicians’ stats. How many years has the doctor been practicing medicine? How many years has the practice been in business? About how many LASIK procedures or cataract surgeries has the doctor performed? If the doctor has recently entered the practice, call out the credentials of his or her training. If the new doctor is joining an established practice, the staff can highlight the senior physician’s confidence in the new associate’s clinical skills.

■ Script example Phone team: “Dr. Jones recently joined our practice and attended one of the top ophthalmology programs in the country. Dr. Smith hand-selected Dr. Jones to provide great care for you, and Dr. Smith would like Dr. Jones to help manage your glaucoma. Would it be OK for me to schedule you with Dr. Jones?”

Train as a team

Staff members should work together to credential as a team throughout the patient experience. Credentialing on the phone provides peace-of-mind for the patient when making the appointment, but there’s no reason to stop there. A patient’s comfort level and confidence will continue to increase as physicians are credentialed throughout the entire visit.

Script examples

■ Reception: “Ms. White, I have your insurance card and driver’s license scanned. A technician will be with you as soon as possible. Have a seat, I know Dr. Jones is going to take great care of you.”

■ Technician: “Ms. White, my name is Tami, and I am going to take some measurements of your eyes. After I enter your information into the computer, Dr. Jones is going to take great care of you.”

■ Scribe: “Welcome, Ms. Smith. Dr. Jones is reviewing your chart and is going to be right in with you. I see this is your first time seeing Dr. Jones. She takes care of my mother, so I know she will take good care of you, too.”

■ Checkout: “I know Dr. Jones appreciates the opportunity to take care of you today. All I need to do now is collect your co-pay, schedule your next appointment and get you on your way!”

■ Optical: “Welcome, Ms. White! You saw Dr. Jones? She is a wonderful doctor! Let’s talk a little about her new recommendation to help you see better with your glasses.”

Every position in an ophthalmic practice has the ability to credential the physicians. Patients will have a positive experience when staff members believe in the physician, are knowledgeable about the procedures and products offered and credential as a team. When the team helps patients become comfortable with the physician and the practice, patients receive great customer service. OP

Ms. Holloway is a senior consultant with BSM Consulting in Clearwater, FL. Her current certifications include Professional in Human Resources (PHR) and Certified Patient Service Specialist (CPSS).