If you're a clinic owner, then you know that providing a great patient experience is essential to your success. Patients are the lifeblood of your business, and if you can create a positive experience for them, they will be more likely to return in the future and refer others to you.

In fact, it's said to cost five times more to acquire a new customer or client than it does to keep one. In this blog post, we will discuss the seven rules you need to follow for a great patient experience!

Let's get started...

7 Rules To Exceptional Patient Experience

Rule #1: Hospitality

The first rule of creating a great patient experience is to make sure that your staff are always friendly and hospitable. This means greeting patients with a smile when they come in, and making sure that they feel welcome throughout their treatment. It's also important to provide them with any assistance they may need, such as directions or help with paperwork. Patients can pick on someone that is just going through the motions.

Rule #2: Use a Proven Welcome Script

The patient experience starts on the first call. You need to use a script that is proven to work. This will ensure that the patient feels like they are your top priority. It's important to make them feel comfortable and assured that they are in good hands. This script should be able to handle all the objections patients will throw at you and that converts price shoppers into patients.

Check out this video to learn how to turn shopping around callers into patients:

Rule #3: Be Rememberable

You want patients to remember their experience with you in a positive light. This means going above and beyond for them, and making sure that they have everything they need. One way to do this is by doing a follow up call after their visit, asking how they're feeling. Even better if you have a clinician do it. How does it make you feel if your surgeon or doctor calls you personally after the surgery?

And another way to be rememberable is to have the clinician call back patients who did not book. No other clinic will be doing this and it will make a lasting impression on the potential patient that will tell others about it. Here's a proven script to use that converts up to 40% of did not books.

Check out this post to learn the 4 ways to improve your patient experience to make price less relevant.

Rule #4: Use Their Name

People love to hear their names and it's one of the best ways to build rapport with someone.  When you use a patient's name, they feel appreciated and valued. This simple act can go a long way in making them feel comfortable and at ease. This is a common practice used by hotels and airliners.

Rule #5: Find Out Their Why

In order to provide a great patient experience, you need to understand why they are coming to see you. What's their big motivation like being able to play with their grandkids again, gardening, golf, etc. You want to find out what motivates them. Then make sure your clinicians talk about that during the new assessment and treatments to get them to stick to their plan of care.  This also reduces self-discharges and gets more successful outcomes.

Rule #6: Consistency

In today's fast-paced, competitive world, companies need to do more than just talk about consistency -- they need to deliver it. That means ensuring that each and every patient interaction is consistent in terms of quality, service, and delivery. Consistency is key to getting patients that stay, pay, and refer.

So how can clinics achieve it? By systematizing and training their staff on the importance of consistency at every touchpoint. From the initial greeting to graduation, patients should always know what to expect when they do business with your clinic. By staying focused on delivering a consistent customer experience, you'll set your business up for success.

Rule #7: Get Feedback From Patients

Every clinic owner wants their business to provide the best possible service and experience to their patients. However, too often, clinics fail to take the time to ask their patients how they can improve.

As a result, they miss out on valuable feedback that could help them to fine-tune their operations and deliver an even better patient experience. Fortunately, it’s easy to start getting this valuable feedback. All you need to do is ask your patients for their thoughts on how you can improve your service or experience. You may be surprised by the answers you receive.

Check out this post to learn how to manage patient's complaints.

BONUS Rule: Patient Experience Goes Beyond Your Clinic

It's important to remember that the patient experience doesn't begin and end at your front door. In fact, for many companies, the customer experience starts long before the customer ever arrives. It can start with your website, your front desk, or even your parking lot. What is the first impression that your clinic gives through every avenue? Are customers' needs being met? Most companies think of their patient experience starts when they arrive at the clinic. However, what are some ways you can improve the patient experience beyond the clinic?

There you have it, 7 rules to follow for a great patient experience. By following these rules, they will help you get patients that stay, pay, and refer. But not only that, they will give you more 5-star reviews that attract even more new patients.

Exceptional patient experience starts on the phones. Want to learn more about how a Virtual Receptionist could help backup your front desk? Learn more by clicking here. 

FAQ

1. How do you assess patient experience?

There are a few ways to assess patient experience. One way is to ask your patients for their thoughts on how you can improve your service or experience. You may be surprised by the answers you receive. Another way is to track customer satisfaction rates over time. This will give you a good idea of how well your clinic is doing in terms of patient experience. Finally, you can also look at online reviews and ratings to see what patients are saying about your clinic. This can be a great way to get honest feedback about your business.

2. What is the difference between patient experience and patient satisfaction?

Patient experience is the overall feeling that a patient has about their interactions with a clinic. Patient satisfaction, on the other hand, is a measure of how happy a patient is with the specific service they received. For example, a patient may have had a great experience at your clinic but may not have been satisfied with their specific treatment. It's important to keep both patient experience and patient satisfaction in mind when assessing your business. 

3. How can patient outcomes be improved?

The biggest way is by finding out their why. What motivates them? This is the key to getting people to stick to their plan of care which translates into more successful patient outcomes.

Who is Rick Lau and CallHero?