When you’re in the medical industry, it’s important to stay competitive. This means focusing on everything from patient satisfaction scores to hospital food in order to maintain your reputation. However, not all facilities keep an eye on how offering a positive experience to their patients can boost their status in the medical world.
Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News recently reported that this can leave a lasting negative impact on hospitals. Staying competitive means gauging patient satisfaction on a routine basis to make improvements where necessary.
“There is a lot of data that show the link between patient satisfaction with their experience and the quality of outcomes in an organization, in terms of both quality and safety, and financial metrics,” M. Bridget Duffy, M.D., founder of ExperiaHealth, told the news source. “They are intimately linked.”
Duffy went onto say that communication tends to be the biggest problem for hospitals and doctors. Patients who find it difficult to receive information in regards to their care are more likely to rate their experiences as less than satisfactory.
“When you ask patients to define what quality means, it doesn’t mean a great physician, high-tech equipment or a state-of-the-art facility,” Duffy continued. “They equate quality with how you communicate with them – and with compassion.”
Maintaining simple gestures such as personally greeting patients and getting to know their specific situations are also critical. People want to feel like they’re more than just another case that walks in the door – medical facilities often allow this factor to fall by the wayside.
How to make improvements
There are a few ways you can improve patient satisfaction across the board. Globo Force recommended encouraging your employees to communicate better with patients. By making it a hospital-wide effort, you can have a large positive effect on the reputation of your facility.
Additionally, hospitals need to make sure that they’re keeping employees motivated. Irritated, stressed out workers are likely to be noticed by patients. This can also reduce the efficiency of people such as nurses in the workplace.
Finally, don’t hesitate to resolve mistakes or address complaints from patients as they occur. This can help you ensure that specific problems don’t snowball into reputation-hurting situations later down the road.
Whether you want to update your hospital menu in the near future or begin offering room service to patients, your efforts can start a positive chain reaction in your facility.