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Patient Relations: Your Complete Guide to Patient Service
Yes, you should sweat the small stuff
By Barbara A. Gabriel

Barbara A. Gabriel, MA, is the associate editor of Physicians Practice. She has served as editor and writer for numerous healthcare publications during the past 10 years. Barbara can be reached at bgabriel@physicianspractice.com.

This article originally appeared in the March 2008 issue of Physicians Practice.

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In Summary

Your patients are the lifeblood of your practice. Although high-quality patient care should be your practice’s ultimate goal, you’ll have little chance of achieving that if you can’t retain a steady patient base. Paying attention to customer service can pay off in spades for your staff, your patients, and your bottom line. Take advantage of maximizing patient satisfaction throughout each step of the visit experience:

Pre-visit information gathering: Adequately prepare patients for their visits so that both office staff and patients already have all of the information needed for the visit before they walk through your front door.

Front-desk intake procedures: Check-in can be the most important interaction you’ll have with a patient during a visit. Don’t blow it with unfriendly and unhelpful front-desk staff.

Patient greeting and exam: Help patients feel more at ease by greeting them warmly, efficiently prepping them for the exam, and not extending their wait time.

Patient check-out procedures: Knowledgeable check-out staff and conveniences like e-prescribing can help the patient leave your office with a positive impression.

Follow-up: Complete the cycle of service by following up with lab work, tests, and referrals in a timely and efficient manner.