Four Tips To Provide Patients With An Extraordinary Experience

Every doctor knows the power of a terrific referral. Practices can spend thousands of dollars on marketing, but it will never have the same impact as a trusted mate recommending their doctor. 

What makes patients more likely to recommend their doctor to others? Typically, it’s a combination of trust and an extraordinary experience. If a patient loves the way they can schedule or re-schedule appointments online, conduct routine visits via a telehealth session, and feels informed throughout the year, the odds of their recommendations increase. 

Here are four tips to help you provide your patients with an extraordinary experience:

Keep Your Website Updated

When current or prospective patients need information about your services, hours, or practitioners, your website will likely be their stop. When they reach your website, what users find may mean the difference between booking an appointment or heading back to Google searching for someone else. 

Your website is the centre of your digital marketing footprint and should represent the very best of your practice. A few ways to keep your website updated include:

• List your specific hours of operation, including any times you are closed for lunch or holidays.
• Rotate photos regularly to make your site feel fresh, including rotating images, header images, or inline images on each page
• Update headlines and body copy to reflect the latest features of your practice at least quarterly
• Use an announcement bar or pop-up window to let visitors know about special hours, COVID-19 restrictions, visitor policies, etc. 
• Provide as many online forms as you can so visitors can complete paperwork ahead of time.

Offer Online Scheduling

It’s no secret that most people prefer to make appointments online versus waiting on hold and talking over the phone. Not only do online scheduling tools provide a higher rate of satisfaction for potential clients but it also saves time for your staff, eliminating or reducing long calls trying to fit a patient into the schedule. 

Most practice management software packages typically include online scheduling features. 

Other benefits of online scheduling include:

• Reduced no-show appointments through online scheduling reminders
• The ability to analyse the practitioner’s schedule in real-time to open up new time slots
• Integration into other software tools like billing and client records

Provide Telehealth Appointments

The rise of telehealth in 2020 has continued into 2021 and revolutionized how practices see patients amid the pandemic. Beyond the expected safety advantages that telehealth appointments provide, the efficiencies also extend to the practice itself.

When doctors are running behind for the day, incorporating a telehealth appointment midday can help them catch up and get back on schedule. Staff attribute this efficiency to fewer pre-and post-appointment duties like sanitizing the room, waiting on patients, gathering extra information like vitals, etc. 

Go Beyond The Appointment With Email

When a practice’s communication is limited to online appointment booking and follow-ups, there is little chance to get to know patients or for patients to get to know providers. 

Incorporating a robust email marketing program can help increase the trust between the two parties and provide valuable information helpful to patients all year long. 

So, what do you send via email? Email marketing ideas include:

• A regular blog post once a month on a health-related topic such as tips to stay healthy in the fall, superfoods to eat for longevity, weight-loss tips for the holidays, and more
• Provider and staff bios/get to know you articles that shine a light on your team and how they spend their time outside the office
• Announcements and upcoming services that may be of interest to current patients
• Reminders on annual vaccines or bloodwork to stay healthy in-between appointments.

When medical establishments use the best digital tools available to increase their outreach and provide current and potential patients with relevant and accessible information, the outcomes for the practice and the patient are better. 

If you’re not sure where to start, choose one of these best practices to implement before the end of 2021 and make a plan to grow your digital tools in 2022.