Today patients shop around for medical care, especially when it comes to back pain. When patients have a positive experience with a practice or ambulatory surgery center, they are more likely to recommend the facility to their friends and refer more patients your way. Irene Rademayer, vice president of clinic services and Jason Jones, senior director of customer service at Laser Spine Institute, discuss seven steps for providing a superior patient experience and increasing referrals.
1. Make sure staff are friendly. The first people patients meet when they enter a practice or ASC are the front desk staff members. Every staff member patients come in contact with throughout their visit, should treat the patients with a warm, friendly and respectful approach.
"We really put a heavy emphasis on every touch point in the patient experience, from the moment when patients enter the door to the day they leave and even after that," says Mr. Jones. "Every staff member interaction they have with a patient is important. We make sure to always greet the patients when they walk in and hold their hand throughout their stay. We want to let them know we care about them and keep them informed about their care."
2. Greeters and patient advocates. Laser Spine Institute positions an employee by the front door to ask patients if they need directions and point out where the elevators and restrooms are located. A staff member on each floor is also available to give the same instructions when patients arrive to make sure they are in the right place at the right time.
"We never have patients who are anxious when they arrive about what they need to do and where they need to go because we have several employees available to help them out," says Ms. Rademayer. "We also provide advocates for patients so that after they have been through clinic appointments, they understand what will happen the next day to prepare for surgery."
The patient advocates are assigned to individual patients and guide them through their stay at Laser Spine Institute. Since patients come from all over the country and the world for surgery, many complete a multiple-day process of evaluations, surgery and physician visits before returning home for recovery. The patient advocate is someone who guides patients through the process, answers questions and shares expectations with them.
"The process of having surgery, no matter how minor, can be overwhelming," says Mr. Jones. "It's important to have someone who can summarize everything they have gone through up to surgery and what they can expect on the day of surgery. Having someone who can guide them through the process puts them at ease."
3. Create the right expectations. Surgeons and other professionals must create the right expectations with patients before surgery to optimize the postoperative experience. "We plan to provide the best outcomes from our patients, but we also have to set up realistic expectations," says Ms. Rademayer. "We don't want to promise unrealistic outcomes and result in an unhappy patient."
The surgeons and staff members are instructed to continually discuss the process and explain to the patients what they should expect to happen next to minimize any surprises. "When we talk about the optimal patient experience, the patient perception becomes our reality," says Mr. Jones. "When you focus on that and value the patient experience, it drives you in the right direction."
4. Support caregivers. Patients aren't the only ones who are anxious about the prospect of surgery; many of them arrive with caregivers who will be worried about the patient's treatment. Staff at the ASC should accommodate caregivers and family members throughout the pre-, peri- and post-operative process. "Keep the caregivers informed about what is happening with the patient, especially on the day of surgery," says Mr. Jones. "Make the caregivers feel like they are part of the surgical process."
The facility also has a café that serves two meals per day which allows patients and caregivers to relax during their downtime. "When patients or caregivers need to wait or want to have somewhere private to talk, they can go to the café," says Ms. Rademayer. "Patients can also meet with other patients who already underwent surgery and are now recovering, and they can share their experiences with each other. We have found this to be an incredibly powerful tool."
5. Limit wait times. Patients and families don't want long wait time to see physicians and specialists for their care, which means patient flow is extremely important. The policy at Laser Spine Institute dictates that patients shouldn't be waiting more than 10 minutes for specialists, and if the specialists are delayed for some reason, staff members are instructed to interact with them before the 10 minute mark hits.
"When I walk from floor to floor, we have a patient tracker to know how long patients have been waiting," says Ms. Rademayer. "We make sure they don't wait more than 10 minutes. If there is a delay with the specialist, we let them know what is happening and offer them food or drinks. We are constantly ensuring those wait times are as short as possible."
In some cases, other professionals can lend a hand. When patients are backed up waiting for a physical examination, physician extenders can step in. Staff members make sure the patients who have been waiting the longest are always the next patients served when the specialists are ready.
6. Accommodate for pain. Most patients who see specialists for their back pain have been living in pain for a long time and may have difficulty performing normal functions, such as sitting for an extended period of time. "We pay attention to the chairs our patients are asked to sit in," says Ms. Rademayer. "They are designed to ease the stress on the back for people with back pain. We also offer a few zero gravity chairs patients can wait in. We want to assist in maintaining their comfort level while they are with us."
7. Answer the phone. Patients don't want to navigate through a web of automated options and voicemail boxes to reach a professional about their medical care. They would much prefer to talk to a real person on the other end and resolve their issue immediately. "We set the expectation that we don't want patients to reach our employees' voicemail," says Ms. Rademayer. "We want to make sure the patients talk to someone who can resolve their concern quickly."
Learn more about Laser Spine Institute.
Learn more about Laser Spine Institute:
6 Points on the Laser Spine Institute Fellowship Program
4 Tips for Employee Loyalty at Spine Centers
Laser Spine Institute Contracts With Tricare to Service Military Members
"We really put a heavy emphasis on every touch point in the patient experience, from the moment when patients enter the door to the day they leave and even after that," says Mr. Jones. "Every staff member interaction they have with a patient is important. We make sure to always greet the patients when they walk in and hold their hand throughout their stay. We want to let them know we care about them and keep them informed about their care."
2. Greeters and patient advocates. Laser Spine Institute positions an employee by the front door to ask patients if they need directions and point out where the elevators and restrooms are located. A staff member on each floor is also available to give the same instructions when patients arrive to make sure they are in the right place at the right time.
"We never have patients who are anxious when they arrive about what they need to do and where they need to go because we have several employees available to help them out," says Ms. Rademayer. "We also provide advocates for patients so that after they have been through clinic appointments, they understand what will happen the next day to prepare for surgery."
The patient advocates are assigned to individual patients and guide them through their stay at Laser Spine Institute. Since patients come from all over the country and the world for surgery, many complete a multiple-day process of evaluations, surgery and physician visits before returning home for recovery. The patient advocate is someone who guides patients through the process, answers questions and shares expectations with them.
"The process of having surgery, no matter how minor, can be overwhelming," says Mr. Jones. "It's important to have someone who can summarize everything they have gone through up to surgery and what they can expect on the day of surgery. Having someone who can guide them through the process puts them at ease."
3. Create the right expectations. Surgeons and other professionals must create the right expectations with patients before surgery to optimize the postoperative experience. "We plan to provide the best outcomes from our patients, but we also have to set up realistic expectations," says Ms. Rademayer. "We don't want to promise unrealistic outcomes and result in an unhappy patient."
The surgeons and staff members are instructed to continually discuss the process and explain to the patients what they should expect to happen next to minimize any surprises. "When we talk about the optimal patient experience, the patient perception becomes our reality," says Mr. Jones. "When you focus on that and value the patient experience, it drives you in the right direction."
4. Support caregivers. Patients aren't the only ones who are anxious about the prospect of surgery; many of them arrive with caregivers who will be worried about the patient's treatment. Staff at the ASC should accommodate caregivers and family members throughout the pre-, peri- and post-operative process. "Keep the caregivers informed about what is happening with the patient, especially on the day of surgery," says Mr. Jones. "Make the caregivers feel like they are part of the surgical process."
The facility also has a café that serves two meals per day which allows patients and caregivers to relax during their downtime. "When patients or caregivers need to wait or want to have somewhere private to talk, they can go to the café," says Ms. Rademayer. "Patients can also meet with other patients who already underwent surgery and are now recovering, and they can share their experiences with each other. We have found this to be an incredibly powerful tool."
5. Limit wait times. Patients and families don't want long wait time to see physicians and specialists for their care, which means patient flow is extremely important. The policy at Laser Spine Institute dictates that patients shouldn't be waiting more than 10 minutes for specialists, and if the specialists are delayed for some reason, staff members are instructed to interact with them before the 10 minute mark hits.
"When I walk from floor to floor, we have a patient tracker to know how long patients have been waiting," says Ms. Rademayer. "We make sure they don't wait more than 10 minutes. If there is a delay with the specialist, we let them know what is happening and offer them food or drinks. We are constantly ensuring those wait times are as short as possible."
In some cases, other professionals can lend a hand. When patients are backed up waiting for a physical examination, physician extenders can step in. Staff members make sure the patients who have been waiting the longest are always the next patients served when the specialists are ready.
6. Accommodate for pain. Most patients who see specialists for their back pain have been living in pain for a long time and may have difficulty performing normal functions, such as sitting for an extended period of time. "We pay attention to the chairs our patients are asked to sit in," says Ms. Rademayer. "They are designed to ease the stress on the back for people with back pain. We also offer a few zero gravity chairs patients can wait in. We want to assist in maintaining their comfort level while they are with us."
7. Answer the phone. Patients don't want to navigate through a web of automated options and voicemail boxes to reach a professional about their medical care. They would much prefer to talk to a real person on the other end and resolve their issue immediately. "We set the expectation that we don't want patients to reach our employees' voicemail," says Ms. Rademayer. "We want to make sure the patients talk to someone who can resolve their concern quickly."
Learn more about Laser Spine Institute.
Learn more about Laser Spine Institute:
6 Points on the Laser Spine Institute Fellowship Program
4 Tips for Employee Loyalty at Spine Centers
Laser Spine Institute Contracts With Tricare to Service Military Members