As a provider, you always want to offer your patients the best care possible. Acting as a support system and giving them access to relevant resources are some of the ways to better serve your patients. Read on for our 5 ways we suggest you can improve the care you offer your patients.
After-Hours Care
Patients’ health concerns do not always abide by business hours. That’s why it can be a good idea to give patients an after hours line or some sort of procedure to do when your office is closed. Setting up an after hours call service assures patients that you are there to support them even when the office is not open. You can do this by either offering a nurses line or outsourcing an after hours number to a nearby clinic.
Mobile-App
With so many different companies and services supporting mobile apps, it is time for you to create one for your patients. Your patients will appreciate the ability to view their medical information in the palm of their hand. In the app they can view office information to set up appointments and any additional resources you may offer. Having the app available will also decrease the amount of phone calls made to the office and therefore free up your line for patients who need it. Patients with quick questions can view the app first to see if it is answered there.
Hire Helpful Staff
No matter how good of a health care provider you are, you will lose patients if you have staff who are not friendly and knowledgeable. This includes nurses and medical assistants, as well as the front desk staff. Many of your patients will have much longer interactions with these people in your office and they will see them first so it is important that they give a good first impression.
Online Resources
Although you want to be accessible to your patients when they need you, that is not always possible. This is why it is important to put a library of health information and helpful links onto your website. If your patients cannot reach you at the time and you do not have any information on your site, they will likely turn to an internet search or to a friend for health questions. This can often lead to misinformation which you never want when regarding your health. If you currently have a website without resources or one that is difficult to navigate, you may want to hire a company for a medical practice website design. You want your website to be easy for your patients to find any office information or health resources that they need.
Schedule Follow-up Calls
Although this can seem simple, it will leave a huge impression on your patients. If one of your patients has a procedure or anything else you think warrants a check-in, make sure to schedule a follow-up call after their appointment. Although you can give this task to someone on staff when you are busy, it will leave a much better impression if you are the one that calls them. This will let your patients know that you care about them and it will help build trust. This will often leave a big enough impact that they will go and tell their family and friends how great of a doctor they have.
When patients are extremely satisfied with the care they receive from you, they will keep coming back as well as bring in more patients. We hope these 5 ideas to help to improve your level of care helps you serve your patients to the best of your ability for many years to come.
