Delivering excellent patient service sits right at the heart of any organisation that provides products or services to patients or consumers. At the heart of a successful medical practice or unit is providing excellent customer service. Excellent customer and a patient-centred approach builds loyalty and trust.
Customer loyalty develops when customers feel a connection with the practice and this sense of connection far outweighs simply a ‘range of products or services’. It is the service, the people and how customers feel that make all the difference.
Further, when a practice or business is committed to customer service, its corporate culture will be strong and will drive the practice to continually improve their internal services, promote higher standards and truly delivery patient-centred care.
The patient-centred approach is all about making the effort to take care of your patients and to see things through their eyes. Understanding that all of the routines around medical practice are for the service and benefit of the patient. This is in contrast, to a product or system-focussed business which highlights the service or product or system itself rather than the patient.
Patient-centred care is health care that is respectful of, and responsive to, the preferences, needs, values of patients and consumers.
The concepts of patient-centred care include :
Research indicates that patient-centred care improves the patient experience and creates public value for services. When health professionals, administrators, managers, receptionists, patients, families and carers work in partnership, the quality and safety of health care rises, costs decrease, health care provider satisfaction increases and patient care experiences improves. This approach can also improve business metrics, such as finances, quality and market share.
The medical administrator and receptionist has frequent interaction with patients and therefore a great impact on the success and reputation of the practice. Whether the medical receptionist is communicating with a patient face-to-face, on the telephone, or by email – the communication must be professional, value driven and attentive to the needs of the patient.
Wesley promote our short course : Medical Triage and Customer Service for Non-Clinical Staff for all non-clinical staff in the health industry.
