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Public confidence in the healthcare system is waning, and patients are becoming increasingly unhappy with the care provided by their providers, with Time Magazine reporting that 70% of Americans aren’t happy with the healthcare system as a whole.

While this is more of a general overview, as an individual healthcare provider, knowing what people are dissatisfied with and how you can avoid mistakes others are making will help you improve your reputation with your patients and provide the best care possible.

So whether you run a dental practice or provide chiropractic care, physiotherapy, or your primary care physician, ensure that you aren’t letting your patients down.

Improve Patient Care

At the crux of the issue is the care each patient receives or perceives they receive. You should be spending a minimum of 37 hours per week on direct patient care. In a group practice, this might be easier to realize than as a solo outfit; however, prioritizing patients and appointments can work in your favor; 31% of respondents in the above Time survey stated a significant source of frustration was appointment wait for items so opening up more slots can allow you to reduce wait time and see more patients.

Value of Care over Number of Procedures

Place emphasis on the value of the care you provide, not the number of procedures. Patients want their care provider to be able to help them live a better quality of life instead of focusing on how they can prevent illnesses and giving patients the power and told to help themselves rather than waiting to dish out care when they need it.

By focusing on how you can help people avoid health issues, implementing preventative care and overactive care can improve satisfaction rates and ensure that patients are getting the service and care they want and need.

Improve Admin

From signing in to consent forms, insurance forms, and so on, a doctor’s appointment can be admin-heavy and take up much time for patients and reception staff. Using software such as meditech integration can streamline the process, have patients fill in forms before arriving at their appointments, and store consent on file and signatures to easily fill in forms digitally and make life easier for everyone. 

Patient portals can also allow patients greater input over making and changing appointments, accessing test results, and getting access to their medical records. The more autonomy they have over appointments and their health care, the better the relationship they can build and provide the right level of care on a personal basis.

Bring In Telemed Services

The pandemic saw a massive growth in telemedicine services being offered to parents. This means that they no longer need to take time out of their day to travel to your office; they can simply take a phone or video call wherever they are and conduct an appointment over the phone or via video call service. This can benefit both practitioner and patient and lowers a more flexible care method for everyone involved.

These types of appointments, where possible, can free up face-to-face appointments for other patients and allow you to reduce appointment wait times without impacting the quality of care you deliver.

Collect Copayments

Most patients will be settling their bills via their insurance company; however, neglecting to collect copayments promptly can impact your cash flow and operations if you need to. If you need to collect payments prior to the appointment, so be it. Offer patients a way to settle up online or at reception before coming into the exam room. This works for many providers as patients can sometimes be in a hurry post-appointment and leave without settling, meaning you need it and then chase up the payment. By allowing more options to pay or allowing payment prior to attending, you can reduce the need for late payment, allowing you to focus your time to more important areas.

Make Valuable Partnerships

To elevate your patient’s experience, be able to form effective partnerships with other providers in your area who can offer complimentary care and services to help you minimize wait times and take advantage of more modern technology or equipment you don’t have access to. For example, you can work with a mental health provider to refer patients for mental health services and care, or you can partner with your local physiotherapist or rehabilitation unit to offer ongoing services for those recovering from injuries, illnesses, or chronic conditions.

Providing exemplary care for your patients means you can deliver a higher level of service that meets their needs. Putting a focus on how you operate behind the scenes can free up time and resources that you can dedicate to care to improve patient satisfaction.