Article by Lindsey
The value of good customer service is something that healthcare organizations often overlook. While finding ways to better meet the needs of their patients is often a top priority for many organizations, the solution could be as simple as adopting many of the most widely utilized customer-service strategies that can be found throughout retail environments and other commercial industries. Being able to enhance the overall quality of communication between patients and providers can go a long way towards improving the quality of care that organizations are able to offer. Basic customer service skills can go a long way towards improving patient interactions.
Enhanced Communication
Being able to accurately convey information during even the most minor patient interaction can help to ensure a more accurate diagnosis or help to provide patients with a better understanding of their situation or options. Facilities and care providers who choose to put the long-term welfare of their patients above such trivial concerns as their attitude or bedside manner could be costing themselves more than they might realize. The same tools and techniques that are used to provide commercial customers with a more pleasant experience can often be very effective for putting patients at ease and eliminating many of the issues or complications that might otherwise impair communication.
Improved Patient Relationships
While not every facility or healthcare provider may have the opportunity to cultivate a long-term relationship with every patient they encounter, even a brief interaction may benefit from good customer service skills. Healthcare providers and even facility administrators who spend the time and effort needed to get to know their patients a little better will have a much easier time building trust or ensuring that the needs of their patients are more easily met. Better patient relationships often play a key role in improving the overall level of care that professionals are able to provide.
Providing Superior Care
Difficult patient interactions are often a chief cause of substandard care. The same customer service policies that merchants and retailers use in order to boost their sales figures or optimize the likelihood of repeat business opportunities can be just as effective within the world of healthcare. The mindset of of treating the ailment or condition rather than the patient can be difficult to avoid, especially for practitioners who are dealing with high patient volume and those that work within stressful or fast-paced environments. Making the patient the priority and spending the extra effort that may be needed in order to put them at ease or make them as comfortable as possible helps to ensure that care providers are able to direct their efforts more effectively.
Optimizing Existing Resources
The finite resources available to a medical organization means that there is a limit to what any clinic, hospital or other facility may be able to do. Adopting a more patient-focused approach to their core processes can allow facilities to optimize efficiency and make the most of their existing resources. From eliminating workflow processes that may be having a negative impact on patients to creating another metric for use with an employee net promoter system, giving each patient the same level of respect and effort that commercial organizations provide for their customers and clients can be very worthwhile.
Identifying and Addressing Issues
The internal structure and day to day operations of even the smallest healthcare facilities need to change and evolve over time. Seemingly minor issues that might escape notice can lead to much larger future problems, especially in those situations where they may be incorporated into a larger process or system. Customer service policies that make it easier for healthcare professionals to hear the complaints or other feedback of their patients can make a difference when it comes to finding ways to improve the hospital experience. There is always room for improvement and clinics, practices and other facilities would do well to lean more about the many potential potential benefits that a more customer-oriented mindset may offer.
