How Patients’ Views of a Doctor’s Manner Go Beyond the Appointment

In the old days, a doctor’s practice was mainly judged by how well the medical professionals treated their patients. A friendly and attentive doctor could gain lifelong loyalty from patients who would tell their family and friends about their great experience, leading to more patients.

While having a great bedside manner is still crucial for a positive patient experience, it’s not the only thing that affects how patients feel about your practice these days. Today’s healthcare consumers expect excellent service and communication at every point in their journey, along with good health outcomes. An Accenture survey found that one out of every two people says that a single bad communication experience can ruin their patient experience. Even more concerning, 60% of patients say they had a notably bad experience in the past three months.

So, let’s dive into the factors that shape patients’ feelings about their appointments, how patients share their experiences, and what you can do to ensure patients have a top-notch experience from start to finish.

What Makes a Practice’s Reputation?

You’ve probably heard the saying that a patient’s appointment doesn’t end after the visit to the doctor. This saying holds true in many ways, especially in today’s healthcare landscape.

Patients now expect a seamless and hassle-free journey with your practice before, during, and after their appointment. Every communication they receive from your practice after seeing the doctor affects their overall assessment of your practice. This includes things like:

1. Post-appointment care instructions.
2. Patient education and marketing newsletters.
3. Follow-up appointment booking reminders.
4. Payment reminders.
5. Patient satisfaction surveys.
6. Invitations to leave online reviews.

The easier and more straightforward you make it for patients to navigate through these steps, the more likely you’ll receive positive feedback in patient experience surveys and online reviews. The more positive reviews you accumulate, the better your chances of building patient loyalty and attracting new patients searching for a doctor.

How Does My Practice’s Online Reputation Impact Our Business?

When people look for a doctor nowadays, they turn to online review sites like Google, Facebook, and Yelp to find practices with excellent reviews and ratings. In fact, a whopping 94% of American adults start their search for a new practice by reading reviews.

While positive online reviews and high star ratings can help you acquire new patients and retain existing ones, negative reviews can have a devastating impact. About 33% of patients who had a bad experience say they’d switch healthcare providers. Even worse, 53% of dissatisfied patients say they’d share their negative opinions with others, including online.

So, how much harm can a single negative online review cause? One study estimates that it can cost your practice between $750 and $3,000 annually. Moreover, losing just one patient due to a bad experience can result in a loss of $200,000 in income over the provider’s lifetime.

These statistics highlight the importance of actively managing your practice’s online reputation and prioritizing post-visit communication with your patients.

What Are the Benefits of Managing My Practice’s Online Reputation?

Here’s the good news: monitoring your online reviews and engaging with patient comments can significantly increase the number of 4- and 5-star reviews you receive. It also shows returning patients that your practice listens to and responds to their feedback, whether it’s positive or negative. In short, you’ll be better equipped to address patient concerns while improving patient retention.

For instance, 33% of patients are willing to change a negative review to a positive one when you respond to and try to resolve their complaint. A study conducted by Harvard Business School found that a mere 1-star improvement in your overall rating average can increase revenue by anywhere from 5% to 9%.

How Can the Right Software Improve Patient Communication and Enhance My Practice’s Online Reputation?

Consistent and thorough post-visit patient communication is key to earning positive feedback. Patients appreciate a smooth and convenient experience, and automated tools can help you achieve this while reducing manual work for your staff. These tools include:

1. Patient messaging for post-care instructions and follow-up care scheduling.
2. Reminders for missed appointments.
3. Patient education and marketing newsletters.
4. Text-to-pay billing reminders.
5. Patient satisfaction surveys.

Additionally, a customizable reputation management solution can assist you in efficiently collecting, monitoring, responding to, and analyzing patient reviews. It enables you to see where you stand compared to competitors, gather more glowing reviews, and make improvements based on patient feedback. Utilizing AI, this solution can even generate thoughtful and unique responses to both positive and negative reviews.

In Conclusion

Offer your patients exceptional “bedside manner” at every step of their patient-centered care journey through automated patient communication technology. By doing so, you’ll not only provide a better patient experience but also build stronger patient-provider relationships and develop an online reputation that attracts more new patients to your practice.