One of the most influential factors pertaining to the reputation of a medical facility is patient satisfaction. However, not all venues are up to speed on how to keep their visitors happy throughout their stay, and those that don’t focus on factors such as patient care and hospital food service are often left behind.
While it may seem challenging to keep a smile on everyone’s face when they come through hospital doors, Family Practice News reported that doing so can be as easy as improving communication. This means keeping patients in the loop about everything from their condition to treatment.
Richard Nordstrom, chief executive officer for a health care communications consulting firm, told the news source that about half of patients don’t understand their treatment plan due to poor communication. About 90 percent of individuals are unsure of how to carry out medical advice from their doctors. Nordstrom went on to say that physicians need to make it a point to explain treatment and medications to their patients in easy-to-understand language. This can potentially help medical venues boost patient satisfaction.
“One report suggested that if you spend time on an educational intervention on something as simple as an NSAID, you’ll have a fourfold increase in efficacy in pain relief and reduction of inflammation,” Nordstrom told the news source. “Assuming patients understand what they’re supposed to do is not enough.”
Doctors who want to improve upon this aspect of patient care but are unsure of how to do so may want to turn to infographics. Visual depictions of information can be easier for individuals to understand.
Keeping your patients satisfied
Being transparent with your patients and communicating with them through basic language can go a long way when it comes to satisfaction. However, there are other tactics you can use to make sure individuals are happy when they visit as well.
Using clinical nutrition software can help you ensure that you’re on top of all of your patients’ food needs during their stay. Using software for patient management in general can give you one less thing to worry about during the day – this technology can save you time and provide you with more opportunities to communicate with your patients.
Whether you already use software or you don’t see a need for it at your establishment, consider the benefits and how it can positively affect your hospital.