The business of medicine is as old as civilization. But it has come leaps and bounds since the days of Hippocrates and in more than just the way we practice medicine. In running a private practice, you soon learn you’re not a healthcare practitioner but a business runner. Succeeding in both roles relies on one thing above all else: how happy you can keep your patients. So, what can help you build stronger patient relationships?

Happy staff means happy customers - Aim For Healthy Patient Service

Your bedside manner is going to make a big difference in how patients see your treatment. If you’re a people person as well as a good physician, customers will want to stick with you. The same applies to the rest of your staff. Often what separates good customer service from disappointed customers is how happy the staff are. Beyond ethical treatment and compensation, little things that can make them happy include simply saying thanks from time to time, accommodating their needs when possible, and spending more time building a rapport with them.

Aim For Healthy Patient Service, Not Just Healthy Patients

Don’t keep them there forever - Aim For Healthy Patient Service

You and your team can be all smiles, but if the patient is being held back by roadblock after roadblock, they are going to get annoyed. Improving business processes to tackle waiting times and improve productivity is one thing. But consider the tech that helps you speed up the processes, too. A healthcare payment processing system can help you make the end of a visit much more convenient. Digital appointment schedulers can make the process of managing the workday go a lot quicker. Medical device integration helps you see the data from devices in context with their health records a lot quicker. You don’t have to rush patients, as they like knowing that you’re spending real time treating them. But you can stop wasting their time where possible.

Aim For Healthy Patient Service, Not Just Healthy Patients

E-care - Aim For Healthy Patient Service

Sometimes, a visit might not be the most convenient thing for your patients as well. However, practices are able to offer much more online than they used to. Quick advice, checking on prior appointments, getting repeat prescriptions, and sometimes even consultations and remote visits can be done online. Naturally, the more you move the business online, the more you have to invest in the security of your network.

Aim For Healthy Patient Service, Not Just Healthy Patients

Keep in touch - Aim For Healthy Patient Service

The online world can also be used to make patients feel appreciated and valued, too. You should be checking up on customers via email, phone or whatever else they state their preferred point of contact is. Ask if they were happy with their experience, if they have any issues that have cropped up before then, and see what feedback you can get. Proactively ensuring they had as good a visit as possible can stop them from leaving negative feedback online where it can damage your reputation. You can create a better environment for your patients. You can make visits much more convenient. You can make them feel like they’re truly cared for. There are a lot of ways to improve patient satisfaction, so don’t just sit and wonder what the problem might be. Proactively treat it.