December 09,  2020

Doctors are sometimes so focused on delivering their medical expertise as a commodity that they seem to forget the customer service component of providing care. Have you ever thought about whether patients are clients or customers?  

In this episode, I am going to tell you the very personal story of my recent visit to the ER with acute onset complete heart block. My (surgeon) husband and I will tell you that being a patient and family member gives you a totally different perspective. 

The key takeaways are:

• Communication is key between all team members 
• Make sure that your messaging (as the physician) is consistent 
• Patients need explicit instructions (even doctor patients) and are looking to you for clear, definitive answers.
• Patients don't like the run around or having to make multiple calls to your office. I know that we all get annoyed by those patients that are difficult or who are repeatedly calling our offices. But having been on the other side I will tell  you  that you need to make sure that your staff is not contributing to the repeated calling and patient frustration.
• Your office staff is a reflection on you. Make sure that they are delivering the best customer service.
• Act like a secret shopper and assess your office's customer service
• Do patient satisfaction surveys so you understand (and correct) any weaknesses—before the poor online review.

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