Is the environment welcoming?
When we examine a practice from the patient’s point of view, a good starting place is with the front desk. Have you looked at your front desk “from the outside in?” In one sense, this is the showcase of your practice.
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The first impression: Appointment scheduling
The first impression a patient receives about your practice occurs when she attempts to set up an appointment. Perhaps you might ask someone to call in to schedule an appointment. Is the caller immediately put on hold? Are your personnel courteous on the phone? Can she be seen quickly if she has a problem? How long is the wait for an annual exam? A test run can be very revealing.
Walk in the front door
When a patient walks in the door, does the physical office space radiate a friendly, relaxed atmosphere? Walk through the waiting room, then consultation and exam rooms as if you are a patient seeing it for the first time. Have you created an environment in which patients sense a well-organized office and the esprit de corps of the personnel? Does it look and smell fresh and clean? This all sends a loud and clear positive message about your practice.1–3
Here are some suggestions for making a waiting room more inviting:
- Provide a seating arrangement that is “patient centered.” For example, semi- circular arrangements allow easy viewing of any monitors in the waiting room.
- WiFi is a great addition. Post several signs with the user name and password.
- Offer computers for patients to use to complete registration
- Set up a fish tank. If well-maintained, it can be soothing to many people.
- Display medical information pamphlets, even if they are rarely taken.
- Provide a big screen television that offers information about your practice, including personnel and procedures.
Streaming ads for physician offices are available. One platform, Outcome Health (https://www.outcomehealth.com), provides flat-screen TVs and tablets that show patient education videos.4 Another vendor, Patient Point (http://patientpoint.com), offers waiting room networks, editorials, and other communications designed to support “the goals of improving healthcare.”5 Other available media include channel news and music programming to relax patients.6
Wait times. A patient’s perceived wait time and the actual wait time are often quite different. How long she waits to see the ObGyn is “numero uno” with regard to patient satisfaction and can be a key source of annoyance, irritability, stress, and anger.
Does someone inform waiting patients that the ObGyn is running late? Does staff at the front desk or perhaps your medical assistant inquire, “Can I get you anything? The doctor is running late,” or “Dr. Jones has just finished delivering a baby. He’ll be here in 10 minutes. He’ll see you first.”
Consultation and exam rooms
Suggestions to develop a relaxing environment in your consultation and exam rooms are7:
- decorate the walls with soft, pastel colors
- use “spa aesthetics” to create a colorful atmosphere with appropriate lighting, artwork, and modern furnishings
- present a few magazines neatly and update them periodically
- stock and appropriately maintain the patients rooms with medical supplies
- remember, “Subjects perceive people more positively in beautiful rooms than in ugly rooms.”5
Read about how to keep your patients satisfied and your business stable.