Your patients’ feelings about your practice are integral to your practice’s health, so pay attention.

As we ease into the final stretch of 2022, I hope you take the opportunity to evaluate your practice’s performance, if you haven’t already. While your clinic or team may have many goals, delivering high levels of customer service and patient care are always essential for a successful clinic. A quick review of your patients’ experiences can help you evaluate their satisfaction and determine ways to progress in the home stretch of 2022.

Tap into online patient reviews

Without a doubt, patients can publish reviews about your clinic that may be glowing recommendations or critical. These reviews provide valuable insights into what is working well, from the patient’s perspective, along with a glimpse into customer service opportunities.

With so many platform options, it can be challenging for clinics to read and respond to online messages. However, it is important to take the time to review this feedback to serve your patients better (not forgetting the opportunity to praise your team for all the positive endorsements from their patient interactions).

I recently looked over star ratings and patient comments from a sizeable ophthalmology group’s online reviews. Some doctors had only 3-star ratings on several MD directories. A few doctors had only a handful of online reviews, so one or two less-than-positive patient experiences were driving down their overall rating. As I read patient comments, I found several key themes:

• The appointment took too long
• Questions about billing
• Rescheduled appointments
• Issues without a response or returned phone call
• The office felt like a “mill.”

Alternatively, patients of another practice left glowing comments about their experience, giving mainly 5-star reviews. Common themes included:

• Service trickles from the top down
• Treated quickly, politely, made to feel important
• Professional, courteous, and sensitive
• Explained things step-by-step
• The staff is friendly and informative
• Kind front-office people

If your clinic has positive feedback, celebrate with your teams! If your clinic has some negative reviews, take them seriously and start addressing the issues. Your practice needs to take prompt and corrective actions.

Listen to in-person comments

I visited a clinic a few months ago and observed an elderly patient asking the front desk receptionist, “Do I have the right date and time for my appointment? I didn’t receive a text to confirm.” This clinic still performed “manual” confirmation calls, meaning their staff calls every patient to remind and confirm appointments. While some offices may still want to keep a personal touch in patient care, many patients have made the transition and expect some automation. Some patients consider text messages and auto phone calls an upgrade! So, before assuming your patients may feel a change (such as online booking or patient portals), listen to their needs and ensure your clinic is meeting them.

Read the room

Patients often communicate through nonverbal cues: posture, gestures, and facial expressions. Be aware of their body language, as this may tell you there is an issue. If a staff member notices something is amiss, work as a team to offer a fast, easy resolution. For example, if you are working up patients and the clinic is behind schedule, you might be tempted to approach the situation in one of two ways:

1. Rush to catch up, trying to hurry patients along, or
2. Take a little longer with patients to show you care.

These approaches are rarely successful. Rushed exams makes patients feel like they are in a “mill,” while taking longer can frustrate other waiting patients (and team members). Instead, stay efficient, professional, and kind. Never associate the length of your work with the quality or empathy of your exam. Helping patients in a clinic running behind by getting them to the next part of their exam is a great gift to them.

Your metrics

Your clinic likely has a patient population unique to your location and services, so I recommend reviewing your metrics once a year. For example, where are your patients located? What are the top five ZIP codes that come to your clinic? What is the average age of your patients? Knowing this information lets your clinic ensure your customer service goals align with their needs.

For example, if the average age of your patients is 72, you might play music and display art from the 1960s. The office décor may benefit from a more contemporary look if your clinic sees younger patients. Knowing what your patients like allows you to modify the office and its atmosphere to support their experience.

Time to level up

If your customer service needs to level up, use the remainder of 2022 to make improvements. You can learn your areas of opportunity through online patient reviews, feedback, and metrics. When you identify an issue, consider solutions that will elevate the patient experience. This thoughtful approach will result in upgraded customer service. OP