Being a devoted and dedicated physician, we know that you have put in boundless hard work and limitless energy to fulfil your dream of making lives better by nurturing wellness and healing hopes. Your compassion and commitment have already set a benchmark in healthcare.

You have taken utmost care to assure that every step of your patient’s medical voyage is as comfortable as possible. The overall experience of a patient right from the time he/ she visits your website till the time of discharge, including post care and counselling encompasses “patient experience.”

Tips to improve patient experience

1. User-friendly website

In today’s digital era, your hospital’s website is the face of your institute, and it is the interaction platform between your patients and you. Your website will create the first and lasting impression on your potential clients.  So make sure that it is an amazing one …interactive, interesting and informative. Patients visit your website to check out the amenities, facilities and services offered by your healthcare unit and read reviews before making the decision of choosing your hospital and taking an appointment. If your website is not user-friendly, then it can be a big put-off and cause the patient or his/ her family member to switch. Confirm that the content and information shared on your website is precise, accurate and up to date. Also ensure that your website is easily navigable to enhance ease of access and usage. Assure that all the content shared is accurate, inclusive, and interesting. Be alert that it does not cause offense to any section of the society.

See that your website includes information about your assortment of facilities, list of services, appointment booking, timing, team information, doctor locator, chat online facility, directions, parking information, expert advice etc.

2. 3 S: Smiling, sympathetic, and supportive staff

The patients who visit hospital are already in a state of anxiety and distress because of their sickness. It is your hospital team’s responsibility to make them feel comfortable and at ease. During the recruitment process itself, select your workforce based on their level of emotional competence along with academic achievements and then train them to be patient and compassionate in any circumstance.

 A smile and a few kind words can work wonders. Be sure to convey to your team the that they must be well-mannered and empathetic while dealing with patients and their family members. They must be keep their cool and learn to handle stressful conditions.

Some ways in which you and your workforce can bond with your patients and enhance patient experience

• Personalize

Patients are not just files…they have names, lives, and relationships. Train your staff to address each patient by his/ her name and to talk to them pleasantly. Do not treat them as cases but as people.

• Be cheerful and optimistic

Positive people give good vibes, and these can make your patients feel relaxed and aid in recovery.

• Be patient

Patients and family members may have many doubts and questions because everyone is sensitive and anxious when it comes to wellness and health. Be sure to tell your staff to   address these doubts and queries with patience and understanding and diligence.

• Be attentive

Train your team to focus fully on your patients…they {both doctors and attending staff}, should give patients their full time and attention during their appointments or consultations without getting distracted by phone calls or other urgent work.

3. Reduce waiting times, delays, and hassle

Many patients associate doctor’s visits with long waiting times and serpentine queues. This by itself can be a put-off and reduce patient satisfaction with your clinic or hospital. Try to cut short waiting times by giving appointments in time slots. This can reduce crowding in your waiting room.

Hospital visits involve a pile of paperwork. Collecting all the documents can be tedious for patients and their family members and cause a dip in patient experience. Reduce this load by harnessing the power of digitalization. Invest in a reliable hospital information management system. This can collate all the records of your patient, store it at one place. Information like clinical data, laboratory reports, history, financial records, bills, insurance details etc. are stored in a digital format and can be easily retrieved and shared across departments seamlessly with minimum scope of human error, minimizing the need for physical storage space, furniture, and tedious manual work.

Use signages to convey the location of specific departments so that patients can easily navigate without the delay of asking for directions from ten people.

4. Create a comfortable and ambient atmosphere

Waiting rooms and reception rooms are places where patients and family members wait before a consultation. Waiting in a clinic is not only dull but can become stressful. Try to make this waiting period less monotonous by playing soothing music or arranging for magazines and newspapers for the patients’ use. Ensure that there is enough seating to accommodate all. Make sure that the seats are comfortable and there is provision for social distancing too.

Try to create an ambient atmosphere in waiting rooms by decorating them with elegance and simplicity. Add natural plants, decorative flowers, waterfalls, portraits of landscapes to increase connect with nature. Use calming colours like pastel shades of blue, green, yellow, or pink. Make provision for sunlight by incorporating big windows and sky lights. Also make sure that the rooms are well-ventilated and deodorized. A small play area to keep kids occupied and happy will be a clever idea.

5. Ensure safety

Safety of your patients, their family members, your staff is of paramount importance.

Some safety measures you can take

1. Ensure regular sanitization and sterilization to check the spread of germs
2. Keep handwash dispensers in every floor
3. Take fire safety measures
4. See that the corridors are clutter free
5. Install hand grips, bannisters and handles in washrooms for the convenience of movement-limited patients.
6. Use non-slip tiles in flooring
7. Use UV lights and air purification systems to prevent infections.

Patients are concerned about safety and if they see that their safety is prioritized in your hospital, you will score high.

To summarize, patient experience is a crucial factor that can make or break the success of your healthcare institution as it has a direct impact on your healthcare centre’s image and reputation.  Hospital consultancy firms can help you to design a masterplan for enhancing patient experience. If you need any help in establishing a protocol, be sure to contact Hospertz, a leading hospital consultancy firm of India.

Blog has been written by Dr. Vishal Jadhav, a veteran in the field of hospital consultancy with a rich experience of more than 20 years and founder of the Healthcare Consultancy Firm, Hospertz.

Dr. Vishal Jadhav, Director
hospertz@gmail.com
+91 9867712705/ 9820833149