Between the rise in patient financial responsibility and a growing millennial demographic, patients are expecting more from their providers: seeking out value, care alternatives, and self-service tools. This pivot in patient behavior has forced a shift in the way healthcare organizations do business- being simply the friendly neighborhood provider is no longer enough to retain patients in this newly competitive space. In today’s post, we are going to look at the three areas that can greatly impact patient satisfaction and improve loyalty.
- Communication
Effective communication is essential at all stages of the patient journey. Pre-service confusion about cost for treatment is at the top of patient concerns and during treatment a shocking 80% of medical errors are a result of miscommunication. To ensure the best patient experience and avoid preventable malpractice claims, healthcare organizations must take care to develop strong patient communication policies. Providing charge estimates, creating an audit process for patient hand-offs, and utilizing portal technologies that provide patients detailed treatment and billing information can all minimize misunderstandings. Additionally, engaging in omni-channel communication can boost both patient satisfaction and improve communication efforts by connecting with patients through their preferred channel and providing a secondary means for transmitting reminders, care instructions, and account information.
- Reputation
Your organization’s reputation in the community has a great impact on patient acquisition and retention rates. In fact, 72% of patients cited reputation as the number one factor in choosing a treatment facility. Reputation must be built organically by creating a positive patient experience. Strategies for ensuring the best possible patient experience include strong communication, compassionate care, billing transparency, and modern technology. Beyond quality care, patients want a clear understanding of their financial responsibility and the convenience of digital technologies for scheduling, communication, and account access. Working towards billing transparency is of the utmost importance as “surprise” charges have been directly tied to patient loyalty while offering digital engagement is a close second; a recent survey showed 83% of patients are actively seeking out providers with these self-service capabilities.
- Billing and Collections
The patient experience doesn’t end when they leave the office and so billing and collections processes require the same amount of care if they are not going to derail all of your organization’s other efforts. We have mentioned the importance of billing transparency and self-service technologies but there is one other primary component of the billing experience that plays a huge part in patient satisfaction: empathy. 65% of patient satisfaction is directly connected to empathetic communication. Billing personnel and third party collection partners must make an effort to extend the values of your organization to the billing process. This can be achieved by taking the time to help patients understand their bills, treating patients with empathy and respect, and providing a channel for patient feedback. Studies indicate empathetic interactions not only influence the patient experience but also improve recovery – patients that have a positive billing experience are more likely to pay in full.