Patient Satisfaction in Healthcare
Businesses frequently measure their customers' satisfaction because happy customers become regular customers. Doctors and healthcare institutions could also benefit from this line of thinking.
Doctors can ensure a high level of satisfaction with very little investment by concentrating on their patients' experience. Satisfied patients tend to be repeat patients and refer the doctor to their friends. Also, doctors who have good relationships with their patients are much less likely to be sued for malpractice.
Measuring Patient Satisfaction
Many factors influence patient satisfaction. Track a patient's experience through various touch points to measure all the factors. Touch points are where customers come in contact with your practice. For example, an advertisement, a billboard, or a friend's referral might be the first touch point for a patient. Every patient's interaction with your institution is a touch point from the secretary that answers the call to the pharmacist who dispenses the drugs. Together, they form an experience for the patient that directly influences how satisfied they feel.
Measure the patients' reactions at each touch point to determine their satisfaction. Do the advertisements set the right expectations? Is the secretary cordial? Does the doctor meet the expectations? Simply ask your patients to know how you are doing.Your patients have a vested interest in seeing you improve. They will respond to your questions, gladly. Set up a survey for your customers to answer anonymously and you will be able to improve your service.
Create a patient satisfaction survey. Customize each survey to fit the needs of your specific institution.
When you're finally creating the survey, remember these nine tips for better responses and cleaner reports:
Word your questions carefully
1
Confusing questions lead to erroneous results.
Always use an odd number scale
2
There should always be a neutral option.
Use a consistent scale
3
You should be able to easily compare two or more questions.
Take anonymous surveys
4
Patients are more comfortable criticizing anonymously.
Ask the questions clearly
5
A small sample of your patients will lead to incorrect conclusions.
Aim for large response counts
6
Let your patients speak freely for better insights.
Use a few open ended questions
7
Periodic reviews by your team can help improve your survey and its responses.
Always report on improvements
8
Engage your customers and incentivize them to provide you with feedback.
Expertly-made survey templates. Try them for free.
