We hear that the average lifetime value of a patient is between $300,000 and $600,000. The medical community generally agrees that acquiring a new patient is more expensive than retaining an existing patient, therefore having a patient retention strategy in place is key to the long-term health of a practice.
Additionally, physicianspractice.com reports that 60% percent of physician practices say they deliver quality care to patients.
But what do patients think?
In a study, 81 percent said they found their healthcare experience lacking in some way. What is really interesting is that the patients who interacted with physicians most frequently reported the highest rates of dissatisfaction, pointing to a disconnect between physician and patient perceptions of the same care episode.
In a survey of more than 35,000 online physician reviews, only 4 percent of respondents complained about a physician’s skill, diagnosis or inability to deliver quality care. The main reason for a poor review, as cited in 96 percent of cases, was poor communication and poor customer service. The good news here is that this is an easy fix and something that all physicians can work to improve starting today — and at no or little cost.
Providing Excellent Customer Service to Patients
Most think excellent customer care is being friendly and going above and beyond for the patient.
Here are some of the things patients say that they want that we believe are controllable – see if you agree.
- Patients want to feel appreciated and be acknowledged.
- Patients want to know what to expect each step of the way to calm their fears.
- Patients want to be heard
- Patients want to feel like providers and staff “get them.”
- Patients want to feel okay.
- Patients who feel appreciated are much less likely to jump ship when your competitors come knocking at their doors.
Provide your team with the tools and skills they need to succeed is the key to empowering and ensuring they can thrive in your organization.
The Sandler Patient-Care program helps you bridge the gap between where you are today and where you want to be in the future, but we get you there sooner.
Are you providing patients with the experience they want? Take the assessment below to find out
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