Keeping Patients Coming Back
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, establishing a quality physician-patient relationship is a major predictor in patient loyalty.
Although physician-patient studies continue to reveal the importance of quality customer care, a majority of patients still feel disconnected and dissatisfied with their health care provider. Studies by the Survey Sampling International and Opinionlogy (SSI) and The Research Intelligence Group (TRIG) confirm that about 46% of U.S. patients feel disrespected by their physician’s lack of punctuality.
While health care reform continues to evolve, it’s estimated that 32 million Americans will become insured over the next couple of years. With more hospitals and medical practices adopting electronic health records (EHRs), health care professionals hope to raise the bar in regards to continuum of care.
Now that the patient paradigm has shifted, practices realize that their success ultimately depends on patient satisfaction levels. Patients are searching for transparent and compassionate care, quality health care and a well-trained medical staff. If their needs are not being met at one practice, they will continue to shop around.
According to Press Ganey, 20% of dissatisfied patients do not complain, but 90% of those same patients do not return. With more patients using Internet sites as a physician reference source, patients who choose to tell others about their negative experience can greatly impact a practice.
Preventing Patient Drop Out
For practices to thrive in an ever-changing health care industry, they must create an environment that supports and provides the tools medical staff needs. Patients want their physician to be equipped in sharing health care information in an informative, yet tactful manner. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, the following methods may help to generate a positive patient-physician partnership:
- Talk with the patient and listen to his or her needs, versus dominating the conversation.
- Follow-up with each patient via phone or e-mail, gauging his or her level of satisfaction.
- To ensure patient comprehension, relay medical information in layman’s terms.
While physicians continue to adapt in their role, patients continue to search for a relationship where they are heard and listened to. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, transparency is a broad-scale initiative enabling consumers to compare the quality and price of health care services, so they can make informed decisions among physicians and hospitals.
MD News December 2011
I like the way the AAFP apparently encourages the use of poetry in doctor-patient encounters:
■Talk with the patient and listen to his or her needs, verses dominating the conversation.
Thanks for catching our mistake, Bob. We've corrected the error.