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The healthcare industry is service-based. Medical facilities earn their reputation for excellence in care delivery when staff members consistently go above and beyond for their patients.
A shift in mindset away from treating patients as mere cash registers is essential for improving healthcare providers' ability to provide outstanding customer service.
Stress is the last thing most people need while seeing a doctor.
Excellent customer service starts with a patient-centric perspective, seeing them as people your healthcare team is COMMITTED to helping.
After the COVID-19 pandemic, patient-centricity changed rapidly.
91% of consumers have used or planned to use video virtual clinical care in the future, according to a PwC survey of global healthcare trends.
Aside from shifting to digital experiences in healthcare, every person in a healthcare organization must realize that they are potentially a customer service representative. And they should center their everyday actions on increasing the quality of care delivered to patients.
Issues that have come up…
‘’90% deaths in Nigerian hospitals caused by health workers’ attitude — Teaching Hospital Chief’’
Premium Times 2021 Insights….
Many families had negative experiences with Nigerian hospitals, resulting in a reluctance to seek health treatment nationwide.
‘’When her younger brother was sent to the hospital, a close friend recounted her personal story of how her health problems began immediately after returning from a lengthy hospital stay.
She could only attribute her sickness to the deplorable conditions she was forced to live in during her three-month stay at the hospital. Every night, she had to lie on a mat outside her brother's bed and run around the hospital in the middle of the night.’’
Anonymous
We must not glorify unnecessary pain, especially when it is POSSIBLE to do better.
Why is customer service so crucial in healthcare?
● Customer service interactions set the standard for the level of care:
You may have the most qualified physicians and nurses on the market. Still, if you can't consistently give your patients a high-quality experience, they won't see you as a great healthcare provider. Instead of seeing each
engagement as a sale, healthcare organizations should strive to build long-term connections with their patients.
● The most vital doctor-patient relationships begin with customer service.
Happy patients are more likely to return to the same physicians, clinics, and facilities for all their healthcare requirements; they are also more likely to suggest healthcare firms to friends, family, and coworkers. Doctor-patient relationships are some of the best examples of customer loyalty in any business, even though they aren't easy to see or often recognized.
The quality of your medical customer service directly impacts how satisfied your patients are and how likely they are to return for future care.
● Insufficient data can lead to life-threatening errors.
Most diagnostic and treatment suggestions in the healthcare business are based on accurate patient data. Errors, inadequate records, and staff's inability to access vital data can negatively influence customers' service, potentially leading to life-threatening blunders and malpractice claims.
Customer service methods, processes, and personnel thoroughness are the first line of defense against costly errors.
Here are three strategies to use in your healthcare business to better serve your customers.
● PROTECT YOUR PATIENT’S DATA
Privacy is an essential factor in healthcare. Most countries now have rules about how health information can be kept and shared, like the HIPAA law in the United States.
It's important to point out the possible legal consequences if an agent doesn't follow privacy rules.
The first step is to provide specific training as part of the onboarding process.
Privacy compliance checklists are an excellent way to help agents learn and follow rules.
Make the checklists thorough and seamless; this is not the place for ambiguity or leaving anything out.
● EMPOWER YOUR PATIENT
There are some inquiries that constantly come up in conversations with customers, and any good help desk staff member will notice this.
One of the most effective ways to enhance anyone's experience is to avoid dealing with customer service….
Though your support staff may not create a scheduling tool, they can log such requests and use them as evidence to develop new tools or improve processes.
For example, if you run an in-person clinic, you might set up a check-in station, so patients don't have to wait for personnel to check them in. Investing in building out a rich knowledge base to allow patients to self-serve is an attractive option for individuals not in an in-person environment.
Healthleadersmedia.com reports that online appointment scheduling is a major factor in patients' decisions about which doctors to see. It's a win-win for you and the people who use your service improve their own lives, you'll be helping everyone involved.
● ENCOURAGE TEAM’S SELF-CARE.
Working in healthcare may come with its hazards.
Whether you're examining claims, attempting to help someone directly with a health condition, or simply assisting in someone's rehabilitation, it may be quite taxing on your emotions.
It is critical to encourage team members to exercise self-care and give them time and space to process their experiences and feelings.
You may have weekly check-ins to see how everyone is doing. If someone expresses concern, spend extra time to talk with them and help them process.
If no staff can provide such help, ensure they have access to an outside resource.
IN THE END….
Finally, it boils down to being considerate and cultivating a trusting environment between your team members. They can only perform their best work if they are healthy.
"We all do better when we all do better, "Paul Wellstone.’’
HECKERBELLA IN CONVERSATIONS...
As a leading digital transformation firm, we know how important it is to have meaningful discussions with our target audience.
We are pioneering a new direction in the digital transformation of healthcare; we recognize that providing outstanding customer service is essential to enhancing healthcare delivery in the Sub-Saharan Africa.
