Your team shows up every day to give people an exceptional healthcare experience. You know how to look people in the eye, smile, and ask them if they\u2019re doing OK. And your patients consider your slow, painless injection the best they\u2019ve ever had. But many practices act like the patient experience only exists between when someone walks in and out of the front door.<\/p>\n
It goes deeper. A truly memorable experience requires care and planning at every touch point a patient has with your practice. You build it by linking critical steps that move people from one satisfying point to the next. Some steps even circle back around in a familiar fashion that never let the journey end. It\u2019s like a hike that you never get tired of taking.<\/p>\n
Creating a patient experience that\u2019s pleasant, familiar, and valued involves 8 essential steps and tools to build perpetual growth. Here\u2019s how it works:<\/p>\n
If you don\u2019t give prospective patients a reason to take a first look, none of the other steps matter. Over 40% <\/a>of search engine queries relate to a user\u2019s location or local businesses, so your practice must have a deliberate stake in local searches. Google sets the rules, and the algorithms shift like mysterious quicksand.<\/p>\n After grabbing attention, you have a brief window to hold it. A Microsoft study <\/a>showed that the average attention span lasts 8 seconds, and that\u2019s down from 12 seconds in 2000. The moment a searcher clicks a Google result to visit your website, the clock starts ticking. More than 50% <\/a>of traffic comes from mobile devices, so make sure your site looks fantastic on a smartphone too.<\/p>\n Getting an engaged website visitor from a few seconds on your website to scheduling an appointment is a giant step forward. Breaking down barriers to making an appointment helps patients commit. One of the biggest complaints of 2 in 3 <\/a>consumers is being put on hold when they call a business. One study recently showed that 68% <\/a>of patients are more likely to choose a provider that offers online scheduling.<\/p>\n There was already a long list of reasons to avoid paper forms in today\u2019s world. Now COVID-19 necessitates removing as many touch-points as possible, especially ones that includes pens and clipboards. Plus, the average practice can save about $10,000 annually by moving to a paperless model. Turns out that no one really misses charts, forms, and plastic x-rays\u2013especially not your pocketbook. Simplifying the step between online scheduling and completing intake forms helps your practice build a critical bridge along a patient\u2019s journey.<\/p>\n Once a patient moves deeper into their interaction with your practice, it\u2019s time to offer a little more \u201cwow.\u201d You send a powerful message by finding out what makes people sweat before their visits, and how you can help. With hundreds of patients to manage every month, how do you make every patient feel like the only one that matters?<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve built a memorable experience for a patient, it\u2019s critical to gather information about how you\u2019ve done. 91% <\/a>of patients conduct online research before choosing a healthcare provider, and 84% <\/a>trust reviews as much as personal recommendations. Reviews help shape trust and expectations, but they go deeper. People love being asked for their opinion. Tools that personally ask for input send a message that says, \u201cWe care about what you think.\u201d<\/p>\n Financial barriers can derail a patient\u2019s experience faster than any other factor. Clear expectations and communication help keep patients happy and on the right track. 61% <\/a>of patients consider switching healthcare providers simply based on a better payment experience.<\/p>\n Your patients absorb massive amounts of media and content. In fact, the average consumer spends nearly seven hours online every day <\/em>. Among the noise, it\u2019s sometimes hard to know who and what to believe. When it comes to wellness, you should be that voice. Create a first-class patient experience by providing a steady, reliable source of information in your community. How do you do that without being annoying?<\/p>\nSTEP #2: GIVE A GOOD IMPRESSION<\/h2>\n
STEP #3: SCHEDULE ON THEIR TERMS<\/h2>\n
STEP #4: MAKE INTAKE EASY<\/h2>\n
STEP #5: PROVIDE COMFORT<\/h2>\n
STEP #6: GET FEEDBACK<\/h2>\n
STEP #7: MAKE PAYING EASY<\/h2>\n
STEP #8: BE A RELIABLE SOURCE<\/h2>\n
Be The Memorable One<\/h2>\n