When was the last time you went above and beyond to show a patient that you appreciated them? Expressing gratitude is a great way to foster a positive patient experience, as well as generate buzz around your practice.
Here are 4 ways in which your practice can show patient appreciation.
1. Make sure your practice is patient friendly
Ophthalmic practices can be intimidating. Picture yourself as a patient stepping into your waiting room for the first time. How do you feel? Are your surroundings clinical or comfortable?
Providing your patients with small gestures of kindness can go a long way towards improving the patient experience. Offer them snacks and cucumber water. Consider playing some calming music. And if you’re running behind schedule, make sure to thank your patients for waiting for you!
2. Maintain relationships with your patients
If you want to leave an impression on your patients, you’ll need to extend your reach beyond your appointment. Encourage your patients to connect with you on social media. Send out birthday cards. If you offer LASIK, think about sending a letter congratulating them on their new vision.
Thoughtful gestures like this can keep your practice top-of-mind. Remember: satisfied patients make great advocates.
3. Keep your staff happy
When it comes to crafting a positive patient experience, your staff members are on the front lines. If your staff members are unhappy, it’ll trickle down to your patients. It’s your job to encourage an open, healthy atmosphere where your staff members can express their concerns to you instead of stewing in their displeasure.
Compliment your staff when they do a good job. Let them know that you appreciate them! Building a friendly atmosphere with your staff will put your patients at ease.
4. Host community events
Hosting community events can be an excellent way to build rapport with your prospective patients outside of a clinical setting. This doesn’t need to be a frequent occurrence – even hosting one event a year can make a difference in your patient community.
Consider hosting a tailgating event in your parking lot. Provide your current and prospective patients with an educational lunch and learn. One of Sightpath’s customers likes to bring in new patients by hosting regular trunk shows.
When prospective patients search for an ophthalmology practice, most of them aren’t looking for the cheapest option — they’re looking for a practice where their vision will be a priority, where they can feel safe and comfortable throughout the entire experience. They’ll find this ideal practice by looking up places with good online reviews, or by paying attention to the recommendations of close friends and family members. (After all, word-of-mouth is king.)
If you want to attract patients, you need to stand out from the competition, both in terms of good reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations. We can help. Sightpath Creative provides our customers with comprehensive content designed to build your brand and bring in more patients.