We were recently asked what our passions were when it came to physician practices. The list was long. Very long. Then, we had to trim it down to just three things. Here’s what they are:
Exceptional patient experience
We believe most physicians want to deliver an exceptional patient experience. But, the day-to-day tasks of caring for people’s health, running a business, and everything that happens behind the scenes bogs practices down. From scheduling the appointment to seeing the provider to paying the bill, patients should be treated like customers and feel better about the organization after the interaction, not worse. Look at your practice from the patient’s view. What do they experience? Improve it through better information, access, process improvement, scripting, and training. See tips on improving the patient experience here.
Strong brand
The brand of the practice needs to be consistent from the website to the patient forms to prescription pads to home instructions to signage in the office. It should all reflect the brand. Audit your brand to see what needs improvement. Learn more on brand here.
Online identity that is owned and accurate
Every doctor and hospital need to own their online profiles so they can be part of the conversation and make dynamic changes. It is very hard to update profiles if you don’t claim them. Take the time to claim them so you control the information. Hours, addresses, and providers should always be kept up to date, especially on Google, Mapquest, and Waze. Reviews should be responded to (and listened to). Set Google and Yelp alerts for your practice so you can keep up with additions to your online identity. And, have someone in your practice responsible for keeping it all up to date.