This document discusses the importance of patient satisfaction and outlines strategies for clinics to implement a strong patient service culture. It recommends (1) hiring and training staff who treat patients well, (2) establishing efficient processes and workflows, and (3) creating an ambience in the clinic that prioritizes patient comfort. Regularly measuring patient satisfaction and addressing complaints is key to building loyalty and referrals from happy patients.

1. Dr Aniruddha Malpani
www.drmalpani.com

2. Why bother ?

3. Can you afford not to ?

4. Happy patients
Happy patients are loyal
Will refer other patients to you
They help you perform even better by
giving you professional satisfaction
Great emotional income - if your patients
are happy, you will be happy too !

5. 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 !

6. 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 people
Right processes
Right environment

7. 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

8. 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 !

9. 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 follow
How to answer the phone
How to greet a new patient
How to help them fill up a form
Doctors usually create bottlenecks !

11. 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

12. Invest in technology
 Automate processes
Online appointment booking
Reminder SMSes to reduce “noshows”
Learn from dentists and vets !
EMRs ( Electronic Medical Records)
Email test results to patients !

13. Telephone etiquette
How well is the phone answered ?
This is your clinic’s public face !
Answer phone within 3 rings
Establish a maximum holding time
Designate a time to return
patient telephone calls
Emails
Mobile

14. Simple to do – but not easy !
Need to understand your patient’s wants,
needs and desires
Ask your patients for help !
We can learn a lot from the hospitality
industry which puts customers first

15. 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

16. “The patient will never care how
much you know, until they know
how much you care !”
Doctors take pride in their
professional competence
Patients have no way of
judging this. Assume all
doctors are technically
competent !
Judge you by your behaviour

17. 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.

18. 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 words
Brighten 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!

19. 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 !

20. 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

21. Commonest complaints patients
have about doctors
Doctor did not explain properly
Not enough time with the doctor
Unnecessary long wait time
Billing mistakes
Rude staff
Lack of transparency about
costs

22. Information Therapy
Best prescribed online !

23. Trust Equation!

24. Free books at
www.thebestmedicalcare.com

25. Bedside manner = empathy
SOFTEN
S = Smile.
O = Open posture.
F = Forward lean.
T = Touch.
E = Eye contact.
N = Nod.

26. Secret
Treat all patients as VIPs. Respect them !
The lifetime value of a patient

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