A Guide to Your Patient’s Five-Star Rating

“We see our customers as invited guests to a party, and we are the hosts. It’s our job every day to make every important aspect of the customer experience a little bit better.” ~ Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon.com We all work hard in our respective fields to get respect and acknowledgement for a job […]

“We see our customers as invited guests to a party, and we are the hosts. It’s our job every day to make every important aspect of the customer experience a little bit better.”

~ Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon.com

We all work hard in our respective fields to get respect and acknowledgement for a job well done. And if we get a negative from a customer or a patient, the curve on our faces drops. There have been many studies that can help us improve the rate of patient satisfaction. A recent poll by the Harvard Business Review proved that all the customers want is a seamless service.

When we come to the healthcare industry, the satisfaction of patients becomes even more important as the life of an individual is in the hands of a medicinal professional. With delayed healing or minor issues like waiting time or inexperienced staff, we can’t afford to lose our valuable patients. So, let’s hop on to the guide where we’ll tell you the secrets to getting a five-star rating from all your patients.

Tip 1: Make the Bookings Hassle-free

As simple as it is, since the first point of contact between your patient and you is booking an appointment, you should make an effort to make them hassle-free. With the help of physical therapy software, you can make the scheduling as easy as it can get. The system will enable your patients to book appointments however they would like, whether it be by phone, email, online, or in person.

As they say, “First impression is the last impression.”

In case your patients book a session online, your website should be seamless and informative. The patient should have all the details and no second thoughts about booking a session with you. Also, ensure that your support care numbers are active to entertain all their queries. With highly proficient customer care, your patients will feel safe and will develop an inclination towards your clinic.

Tip 2: Send Automated Reminders

Once a patient has scheduled an appointment, send them a reminder with travel information about a week beforehand. This gives the patient enough time to contact your clinic if they need to reschedule or ask any questions they may have. Be sure to give the patient any necessary instructions regarding how they should get ready for their appointment.

Keep in mind that a procedure that seems routine to you might be frightening or confusing to your patient. So, providing the details of the workout regime for a day or the entire week will work in favour of both parties. Moreover, the automated reminders before the appointment will reduce the number of no-shows and cancellations. Thus, you’ll be able to fetch a five-star rating as well as increase the ROI of your clinic.

Tip 3: Respect Your Patient’s Time

How often has it happened when a patient comes to you all frustrated after waiting in a long queue? If you are familiar with such a situation, you need to get scheduling software for physical therapy such as SmartPT for seamless scheduling and decrease waiting time. All in all, keep in mind that long wait times can be a major source of annoyance for your clients, which can result in negative client feedback and low patient satisfaction ratings. After ensuring that your patients don’t face any difficulties in getting to the session at the allotted time, ensure that the assigned physical therapist is present before the patient. A friendly greeting by the receptionist or the physical therapist before starting the session can go a long way.

Another aspect of respecting your patient’s time is managing their documents and digital patient intake. If the first day of a patient is all about filling out forms, it can lead to a monotonous start. Digital patient intake software will enable you to onboard patients without any hassle. Moreover, the cloud-based physiotherapy software will help you keep all your paperwork up to date and all your team will be on the same page.

Tip 4: Take a Leap with Technology

Technological advancements in the healthcare industry have been abundant ever since the outbreak of COVID-19. The pandemic made everyone shift to online mode to continue with their practices. Similarly, physical therapy has witnessed the transition from manual to automated physical therapy software. Ever since then, physical therapists have learnt that with the help of the extra push from technology, all the manual processes have become so easy to carry out. Be it communication between team members, record keeping, scheduling, or billing, everything can be processed with just a few clicks.

Furthermore, your patient experience can be automated using a variety of apps, website add-ons, online platforms, and digital services. For instance, with SmartPT Online you can easily share all the necessary information about a patient with other caregivers. It offers an interactive treatment that patients adore, and gives you an objective measurement of your client’s abilities in real-time. Even the patients feel engaged and motivated when using SmartPT for therapy because of the real-time visual feedback and simple-to-read progress reports.

Tip 5: Personalised Care

To engage patients, personalisation is crucial. Not just the diagnosis, but if you personalise the entire treatment plan of a patient, the better will be their satisfaction rate. Since every patient is different, the plan of action for their course of therapy should be individualised as well as care plans. Regarding the care plan, make sure that the patient’s personal goals are explicitly referenced in the therapy tasks. To ensure that patients return for additional visits, make sure the treatment received in the clinic is distinct from the home exercise programme.

With the help of physiotherapy software like SmartPT, you can leverage the benefit of creating tailor-made Home Exercise Plans (HEPs). The software has a vast library of pictures and videos that can help the patient to carry out the exercises with the same dedication as they do in your presence. The silver lining is, patients can access these personalised exercises through the SmartPT Mobile App. Simultaneously, you can receive notifications when the patient has completed the workout plan. This maintains constant communication between the patient and the therapist which increases patient engagement.

The Bottom Line

Engaging patients can lead to higher levels of patient satisfaction, loyalty, retention, completion of their treatment plans, and future visits to the clinic. Better patient engagement can be achieved by enhancing the patient experience as a whole, involving the patient’s family and caregivers, personalising each session, offering patient education, and soliciting feedback via surveys.

Using technology like physical therapy software that streamlines and enhances the patient experience is the best way to have the biggest impact on patient satisfaction. Keep in mind that every aspect of your practice should be focused on the patient, from booking the initial appointment to billing and everything in between.

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