Manners That Modern-Day Physicians And Medical Staff Should Demonstrate
The current healthcare backdrop endorses a broader definition of patient satisfaction. While making your patients healthy remains as your primary objective, you and your office staff are also judged on what you do to keep your patients happy. This boils down to one simple fact- you need to keep your patients healthy as well as happy. There is a deep relationship between how your patients are treated personally and how they are treated clinically and this is something that shapes the future of your medical practice. Good mannerisms always pay off and you may want to make sure that you and your staff are using good manners while interacting with your patients. Your patients are your customers and when you adopt a customer-centric work attitude, you move a step ahead to promote client loyalty.
Whether you admit or not, you cannot spend adequate time with your patients. But you cannot allow your patients to understand that you are racing against time and hence, you are not able to give them the attention and personal touch that they need from you. Slow down and let your patients feel comfortable and convey their concerns to you. Most executives at the reception desk tend to focus on the computer screen while interacting with patients and their families and this is something that does not create a warm effect among the people who are on the other side of the table. Make sure your employees make eye contact with your patients whenever an interaction takes place.
Practice good listening skills and use appropriate body language to show that you understand your patients’ concerns. Nod at your patients and repeat what they said in your own words. Try not to interrupt your patients’ statements. Listen carefully and you may come across some really important information. Smile whenever you make eye contact. This will allow your patients to feel welcome. Make sure your employees respect patient privacy laws and call patients by their first name only after they receive permission from them. Your employees should also introduce themselves even though they carry name badges. Your patients should know if they are speaking to a nurse, housekeeper, or a technician.
Keep your patients updated about what will happen next. By giving them clarity about procedures, you will make your patients feel relaxed and prepared. If a patient needs to wait for a certain period of time in the diagnosis room, assign someone the responsibility of visiting him/her frequently to keep him/ her updated about the time that he/she needs to spend there. Uniformity is a sign of professionalism. Make sure your employees come in proper uniforms. As a matter of fact, improper office attire may make your patients develop a negative perception about the quality of service they will get. Just like any other professional setting, your medical office may also have staff with estranged relationships. You need to make sure that issues do not become public and gossips do not spread to the outer world.
Consider organizing training programs for physicians and medical staff keeping soft skill development as the top priority. Development of interpersonal skills is as important as the development of clinical skills in the modern healthcare industry where people have many choices and judge a service in terms of its level of customer-orientation.