What constitutes a good “exam” or “treatment” to a patient may not align with your clinical judgment, but it’s helpful to know what evaluation criteria patients are applying: How long they sat on the table in that drafty gown, whether three people asked them the same list of questions, whether the nurse returned their phone call right away.

Often, a patient relations plan is simply a question of how best to show patients you care. Customer-service manuals oriented toward general business — Santmyire-Rosenberger likes “Raving Fans” by Ken Blanchard — can provide food for thought. Even a business school classic like “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” written by Dale Carnegie in 1936, offers plenty of pointers for those whose business necessarily includes winning over patients, payers, and colleagues.

Terpenning cautions new practice owners not to forget about those colleagues: Relationship-building with other physicians must be on any practice’s list of patient relations tactics. “Make referring physicians’ lives easier,” she says. “Show them why they’d want to send patients to you, with timely, high-quality reports and easy access to you. Let them know that their patients are getting top-notch care with you, which reflects well on them.”

Ultimately, says Santmyire-Rosenberger, “Patients want to feel that you’re interested in their best interest. The more they sense that, the more they trust you.” With a wide base of patient trust, your practice will be able to generate the community traction needed for growth and sustainability.

Laurie Hyland Robertson, BA, is a senior editor with Physicians Practice. She has been in the medical publishing field for more than 10 years, working editorially on both clinical and business-oriented healthcare topics. She can be reached at LCHRobertson@physicianspractice.com.

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