Health care myth-takes to avoid

Sometimes, an idea or strategy makes sense. For example, the purpose of technology may be to reduce errors. Still, it can introduce new errors when incorrect or incomplete data entry leads to errors in diagnosis and adverse patient outcomes. Yet, once a new idea or concept is implemented, it becomes a mistake. We rely upon colleagues' research, publications, and testimonials to help identify what works best. Health care has progressed through trial and error, and failure is part of the growth of the health care profession. But if you know something is wrong, don't make it worse by relying on a flawed strategy or making myth-stakes.

Let us discuss five myths with high stakes that could cost you money and patients and even result in complications and decreased outcomes.

1. A repeat patient is a loyal patient – The party line is that if the patient keeps returning, they must be loyal. Just because a patient returns doesn't always mean they are a raving fan. You must find out why they keep coming back. Maybe your office is two miles closer than your competitor's location. What if a competitor opens a practice next to or near your practice? You may find out they were loyal to your location and not to you. Or maybe your cost of care is the lowest. If the patient focuses on cost, guess what happens when your competition offers a lower price? It turns out they were loyal to their wallet, not your practice. There are reasons patients come back that have nothing to do with how much they love your experience and practice. But when you find someone genuinely loyal, find out what they love about you, and provide them more, you may keep them forever, i.e., they become loyal, raving fans.

2. We want satisfied patients – This is a perfect follow-up to a repeat patient is a loyal patient. No, you don't want satisfied patients. You want loyal patients. Just remember, satisfactory is average, and the first opportunity the patient does business with a place that's even slightly better than average, they will likely move on. We do not suggest ignoring patient satisfaction scores or your online reputation from review sites. Instead, ask patients what their experience was with the practice. One of us (NB) surveys every patient after every office visit. I use a 3 X 5 card (Figure 1) and ask every patient about their experience with the practice, including a question: "Would you recommend our practice to your family and friends? We respond to any issues or problems they may have had and acknowledge any compliments they may have shared. We believe that this makes our practice more than just average.

3. Only the front-line needs patient service training – The concept of customer/patient service is not a department. It's a philosophy that everyone in a practice must embrace. Everyone deals directly with a patient and supports someone who does or is part of the process that drives or supports the patient experience. Someone in the billing and collections department may never see a patient. Still, suppose they fail to be sensitive regarding charges and payments. In that case, they will negatively impact the experience, causing the patient to call and complain and make the practice double its effort to fix or solve problems that may occur. Once all the employees realize their impact on the patient experience, they will view their jobs differently and be focused on creating a better patient experience.

4. Patient perks create loyal patients – Customer loyalty programs are often about points, perks, and discounts in other industries. This doesn't usually apply to a medical practice. I've never heard of anything like a frequent flyer program offered by a medical practice. However, we offer programs like telemedicine, patient portals, early morning hours, and weekend hours that make practice more accessible. An important question is, "If you remove those add-ons, would the patient remain loyal?" That doesn't mean you should do away with the program. These programs may not create loyalty but will result in repeat business. They make doing business with us easier and validates the patient’s decision to keep doing business with our practice versus switching to another practice.

5. The patient is always right – No, the patient is not always right, but they are always the patient. And that means it is our responsibility to make sure patients feel heard. That means active listening and not interrupting the patient with a problem or a complaint. It is unnecessary to agree with a patient, but you must look them in the eye (if you are face-to-face with the patient or make confirming remarks to let them know you are listening) and be thoughtful. Our take-home message is that the patient isn't always right, but they are the patient. So, if they are wrong, let them be wrong with dignity and respect.

Bottom Line: The history of medicine is built on the shoulders of giants like Galen, Hippocrates, Vesalius, and Harvey. Modern medicine is based on facts and evidence, not myths and misinformation. This blog may provide additional information that relying on myths can lead to mistakes. We hope you will consider these five myths and try to avoid the myth-stakes.

Shep Hyken is customer service/CX expert at www.Hyken.com

Neil Baum, MD, a Professor of Clinical Urology at Tulane University in New Orleans, LA. Dr. Baum is the author of several books, including the best-selling book, Marketing Your Medical Practice-Ethically, Effectively, and Economically, which has sold over 225,000 copies and has been translated into Spanish.