Dr Aniruddha Malpaniwww.drmalpani.com

Why bother ?

Can you afford not to ?

Happy patientsHappy patients are loyalWill refer other patients to youThey help you perform even better

by giving you professional satisfaction

Great emotional income - if your patients are happy, you will be happy too !

Why we continue to fool ourselves• Only 1 of 20 unhappy patients bother

to complain.• Others walk out of

your clinic and tell 10 others about their bad experience. • Complain online

Poor ratings cause harm• Google yourself !

Build a Patient Service Culture in your Clinic’s DNA

You cannot do it yourself !Need to ensure your staff treats

your patients well Create magic with

Right peopleRight processes Right environment

Staff – your most valuable investment

• Employ the right people - hire for attitude• Pay them well . Losing even one patient

because your receptionist was rude can be expensive !

• Train them. Respect them. Appreciate them • Employ enough staff – multi-tasking is

tedious and dangerous too • Make sure your staff works well as a team• Do not shout at them in front of your patients• Working in a doctor’s clinic is difficult.Help them to do their best

Staff – your most valuable investment

How well does your staff treat your patients when you are not in the clinic ?

If you treat your staff well, they will treat your patients well !

Processes to improve workflow• Doctors are good at following clinical

flowcharts - we need to implement flowcharts for improving workflow in the clinic !

• Need processes which the staff can followHow to answer the phoneHow to greet a new patientHow to help them fill up a form

Doctors usually create bottlenecks !

Clinic ambience• Do not pinch pennies ! Would you be

happy sitting in your waiting room ?• Is drinking water / tea available ?• Rest rooms should be spic and span• Play patient education videos while

your patients are waiting• Do not overbook - respect your

patient’s time

Invest in technology Automate processes

Online appointment bookingReminder SMSes to reduce “noshows”

Learn from dentists and vets !EMRs ( Electronic Medical Records) Email test results to patients !

Telephone etiquetteHow well is the phone answered ?This is your clinic’s public face !

Answer phone within 3 ringsEstablish a maximum holding timeDesignate a time to return

patient telephone callsEmailsMobile

Simple to do – but not easy !Need to understand your patient’s

wants, needs and desiresAsk your patients for help !We can learn a lot from the

hospitality industry which puts customers first

Measure patient satisfaction !“You get what you measure.” • Comment cards– It was easy to get an appointment.– I was greeted in a friendly manner.–My doctor answered all my questions.– I would recommend this practice to

friends.• Telephone calls after their visit.• Internet surveys by email• Feedback form on the website• Mystery shoppers

“The patient will never care how much you know, until they know

how much you care !”Doctors take pride in their

professional competencePatients have no way of

judging this. Assume all doctors are technicallycompetent !

Judge you by your behaviour

The 10 Commandments for your staff

The patient is never an interruption - the patient is your work. Everything else can wait !

Greet every patient with a friendly smile.

Call patients by their name. For patients, all staff members are as important as the doctor !

Never argue with a patient. Be a good listener.

The 10 Commandments for your staff

Don’t say, "I don't know.” Say “ I will find out”.

The patient pays your salary - treat him like your boss !

Choose positive wordsBrighten every patient's day. This will make

your own life happier. Always go the extra mile. Exceeding patient

expectations is the best way of keeping your patients loyal!

Dealing with unhappy patients• Dissatisfaction = Mismatch between

Expectation and Reality• Satisfied patients will tell three other

people• Dissatisfied patients will tell 20 others. • However, if you can satisfy an unhappy

patient, he will tell at least 50 others, and become your most valuable ally !

How to handle angry patients! RAPSAND

• R = Re-establish rapport ( empathy)• A = Agreement ( get the patient to say Yes)• P = Problem ( define this)• S = Solution• A = Ask Permission ( is the patient happy

with the solution you have offered ?)

• N = Next step ( Follow up)• D = Document

Commonest complaints patients have about doctors

Doctor did not explain properlyNot enough time with the doctorUnnecessary long wait time Billing mistakesRude staffLack of transparency about costs

Information TherapyBest prescribed online !

Trust Equation!

Free books at www.thebestmedicalcare.com

Bedside manner = empathySOFTEN

S = Smile.

O = Open posture.

F = Forward lean.

T = Touch.

E = Eye contact.

N = Nod.

SecretTreat all patients as VIPs. Respect

them !The lifetime value of a patient

Patients come first !Everything else is paperwork !Need to delight your patients – one patient at a time