Patient Growth Driven by the Clinic Experience
Practice Growth & The In-Clinic Experience
The patient experience represents a critical component of your ability to attract and retain patients. When patients form positive relationships and begin to trust you as their provider, they become more engaged in their own care, and develop a stronger sense of loyalty to your organization. This would seem obvious, however we often underestimate the importance of a number of both physical and psychological elements in our clinics that may not seem all that important to us however they are critically important to the mindset of your patients and when valued and improved, can have significant positive impact on your patient’s outcomes and your growth & success.
What is The In-Clinic Experience
Of those who actually make it to a hearing care practice, many still walk out without obtaining a solution. When you are committed to finding innovative ways to work with your patients - to educate, engage and inform them which drives better treatment adherence, ultimately your patient will have much better outcomes and your practice will experience greater success. There are substantial growth opportunities for health care providers by focusing on the human side of the equation and Trust plays a major role in this. Building trust with your patients requires patient-centered care. Providing solutions that meet the patient where they are. In some cases, that means referring them for an implantable solution. The in-clinic experience encompasses all of the interactions, touch-points, esthetics, information, processes and of course- the care provided. Its everything from the scheduling of the appointment, to the time in the waiting room, interactions with staff, the documentation & testing process, engagement with the provider, checking out after an appointment, scheduling future appointments and follow up. It is the beef & potatoes of what you do.
Why is it so important
Enhancing patients’ health care experiences means more than just providing top-notch clinical care. It requires care that addresses every aspect of the patients’ encounters at the clinic – their physical comfort, their understanding of what’s happening and their emotional needs. Every step in their journey has impact on their mindset, perceptions and emotions which effect the actions they take and the outcomes of care. The moment they step through the door, impressions are being made, perceptions are being created and you are either developing a long-term (hopefully lifetime) relationship with your patient…or you’re not.
Honestly, there is no real competition comparing self-serve option with the care you provide. The expansion of the self-serve options (aka OTC) is creating perceived competition. And that’s not a bad thing. This presents the opportunity to welcome people struggling with their OTC devices and demonstrate the benefits of YOUR in-clinic experience and patient-centered care. Also , by embracing options that you can offer in your clinic and welcoming patients that choose an OTC product but are really struggling with it, demonstrates your commitment to care and provides a great source of potential lifetime patients & possible CI candidates
patient-centered value-based care = differentiation and growth
What’s the difference between patient-centered care and the patient experience or in-clinic experience? The in-clinic patient experience is a component of patient-centered care.
Patient-centered care can be defined as “providing care that is respectful of and responsive to individual patient preferences, needs, and values and ensuring that patient values guide all clinical decisions” Knowing your patients and creating an in-clinic environment that supports a patient centered approach is how you differentiate from other clinics, increase patient satisfaction which increases referrals - a major factor in growth. There are seven dimensions of patient-centered care.
The seven dimensions of “patient-centered Care” as defined by the picker institute:
1. Respect for patients’ values, preferences and expressed needs
2. Coordination and integration of care
3. Information, communication & education 4. Physical comfort
5. Emotional support and alleviation of fear and anxiety
6. Involvement of family & friends
7. Transition & continuity
