6 Ways to Make Your Patients Feel Special

How your patients experience your practice is a foundational aspect of your healthcare marketing strategy. A snappy website may help get patients through your doors, but whether or not you retain them and they are willing to recommend your practice depends on what happens once they step through those doors. Use these six strategies to improve your patients’ experience with your practice… so they refer their friends and keep coming back! Remember Individual Details. Patients know you see a lot of people, so if you can remember a couple of details specific to individual patients and ask about them, your patients will be impressed by your thoughtfulness. They’ll feel like they are not just a name on a file to you, but rather a valued part of your practice. Building that sense of connection is important for building a trusting relationship with your patient, who will, in turn, be much more likely to recommend you to others. Surveys. Conduct regular surveys of your patients’ satisfaction with your practice. You can send them out online, have patients fill out a form in person or build it into an app. This will show that you care about their experience and feedback and will help you pinpoint areas for improvement. App. Consider building an app for your practice. If you are a hospital, include a map that directs patients and visitors to the appropriate place to park and help navigate them through your halls. You can also build in interactive, health-related surveys and articles they can engage with in the waiting room. An app offers a great platform to help patients get in touch with your practice, refill prescriptions and be reminded of their appointments. Show Your Appreciation. Host a patient appreciation event. This can be small and fairly inexpensive, like a social at a park, or more elaborate as your budget allows. If you have a core group of long-time patients, show them you appreciate their loyalty by renting out a restaurant to say thanks. Be Attentive. When patients arrive, make sure your front desk staff is trained to welcome them and attend to what they need right away. If this isn’t always possible, make sure you and your staff thank them for their patience. Acknowledge their experience before they have to bring it to your attention. This will help patients recognize you are considering them and doing the best you can. Make It Inviting. Patients can be nervous, especially when they are new and don’t know what to expect. Their first impression will come from the waiting area, so make sure you keep it clean and inviting. Consider incorporating small decorative elements that will help the space feel warmer and personal, like table lamps instead of overhead fluorescents. When your patients feel valued and special, they’re much more likely to come back, give you positive reviews and recommend your practice to others.