By Taylor McKnight, Author for Med Communications
As a healthcare professional, you are responsible for offering the highest possible care to your patients. Nevertheless, nowadays the cell depends on other factors in medical landscape. Patients are increasingly in the want of more personalized and humanistic experience from their healthcare service providers. This is where patient-centered care approach enters the picture. Patient-centered approach allows patients to be an active partner in the treatment process and to be involved in the design of their own particular care strategy.
Why is Patient-Centered Care Important?
It was established that patient-centered care enhances the trust level between the patients and healthcare experts who ultimately become an important factor in developing a strong patient-provider relationship. This trust can be the basis for an increased patient satisfaction and retention, which is essential for your diving practice.
How Can You Make Your Medical Practice More Patient-Centered?
- Create a Welcoming Environment
The physical space of your clinic does not necessarily mean only the physical environment but it also conveys patients’ perceptions about your facility as well. Standardize your waiting area to be relaxing, tidy, and friendly. Evaluating amenities, like coffee, tea, or water, and distributing the books or one television could help patients to spend some moments quietly. This makes the process comfortable, helping patients cope from the usual apprehension and discomfort during waiting.
- Listening to Your Patients Carefully
Active listening here is a basic element implementing the concept of person-centered healthcare. The act of active listening makes the patients acknowledge the fact that you value their opinions and also that you are genuinely concerned about their health.
- Drag Patients into Their Care
The most effective method to provide patient-oriented care is to include patients in the decision-making process of their therapies. This can be attainable through the concept of shared decision making, where patients are routinely guided into realizing informed health decisions partnering with their respective provider.
- Utilize Technology
Technology might be a great strength that can help you to create more patient-centered practice. Online appointment systems let patients book ahead of time anywhere they want and eliminate the hassle and the need to wait in line. Electronic health records (EHRs) are designed for the collection of patients’ information and to prompt readily availability for both the clients and service providers.
What to Avoid at Your Medical Clinic That Can Hurt Customer Satisfaction
- Long Wait Times
Long queues in the waiting room and examination room might provoke stress and patients’ low evaluation of services.
- Poor Customer Service
Customers now anticipate a polite and respectful treatment from everyone in their physician’s/clinic staff.
- Lack of Communication
The patients need information about the health of their body, the alternatives of treatment, and every new issue related to his or her medical care. Do not use medical terminology and speed up the process to explain the subjects in a way that patients understand.
To sum up, the turning of your medical practice into patient-oriented can be a trigger of improved health outcomes, enhanced patients’ contentment, and better health experiences on the part of the patients. This not only transforms the positive outcomes of your patients but also improve the healthcare of the people you are serving and the practice’s performance.