Speculation as to whether or not the U.S. will soon be facing a recession has been a recurring conversation among economists as of late. Although popular belief leads many to assume that the healthcare industry is immune to economic lows, research has debunked this misconception. In fact, reports demonstrate that while healthcare is typically hit later in a recession, it takes longer than other industries to recover.

As inflation impacts the costs of healthcare, most Americans are postponing their doctor’s appointments or medical procedures due to cost. On the contrary, there are times when medical attention is inevitable, and patients have the prerogative to choose where to receive their care. Practices must prioritize the patient experience if they want their practice to be the first choice among the competition. Despite economic challenges, practices can sustain and even enhance their operations by nurturing patient satisfaction.

Cater to patient expectations

People have grown accustomed to the convenience of technology and the instant gratification it provides. In a digital age, patients expect healthcare to be just as convenient. Offering convenient accommodations like digital intake forms, online scheduling, and telehealth appointments will make your practice more appealing against competitors lacking these capabilities. Considering that 43% of patients prefer scheduling their appointments online, practices that fail to offer this feature are missing countless patient acquisition opportunities.

While meeting these patient expectations will increase patient satisfaction, they will also help you manage your practice more efficiently and increase profitability.

Keep wait times to a minimum

Just as healthcare providers have other patients to see, each patient in the waiting room has other places to be. The longer patients wait, the less satisfied they will be with their experience and increase the chance they will look for a new healthcare provider. In fact, according to a study from the National Center for Health Statistics, patient satisfaction is directly linked to wait time. The results revealed that an hour-long delay in a doctor’s appointment was associated with an 11 percent decrease in overall satisfaction.

When the circumstances arise that a provider is running a bit behind, keep front desk staff members informed. Consequently, waiting patients can be informed of how long they may have to wait before their appointment starts. This alleviates the feeling of neglect that many patients feel after waiting a substantial length of time.

Display compassionate bedside manner

A provider’s bedside manner can dramatically alter a patient’s experience. Doctors with good bedside manner listen attentively to their patients, communicate information in layman’s terms, and treat patients with respect. In contrast, not all doctors prioritize good bedside manner, oftentimes resulting in a decrease in patient retention. Considering 67% of patients say good bedside manner is what they want most from their healthcare providers, lacking this soft skill can be detrimental to the profitability of independent practices.

To improve bedside manner, providers should:

• • Keep patients informed. Indicating that you understand what your patient needs help with will foster trust and rapport. Phrases like, “let me know if…” or “if this becomes uncomfortable…” allow patients to have some control over their care, eliminating the power imbalance that often exists between patients and physicians.
  • Demonstrate respect. Even if a patient is being difficult or demanding, show empathy by maintaining eye contact and speaking directly at the appropriate volume level for each individual situation; this conveys respect on both sides and can help diffuse tense situations quickly.
  • Follow up after a few days. Good bedside manners don’t end when the patient leaves the exam room.

Conduct patient satisfaction surveys

In the midst of economic uncertainty, retaining patients is as important—if not more important—than attracting new ones. Patient satisfaction surveys are a means to give your patient base a voice following their visit. By hearing critiques or praises directly from the source of your practice’s revenue, you can determine what is working and what needs improvement. To provide these surveys, simply send patients a link via email or text that they can fill out in just a few minutes.

Be sure to respond to all patient feedback, even the negative. Once again, patients want to feel heard, and by engaging in a conversation to address an issue, those frustrated patients are more likely to give your practice another chance at redemption.

Now is the ideal time for practices to revisit their existing processes and offer additional ways to meet patient expectations. With there being so many healthcare facilities for patients to choose from, there isn’t much margin for error when it comes to making sure your practice provides excellent care and experiences for each patient every time they visit. By taking measures to enhance the patient experience, and implementing these strategies, independent practices can thrive regardless of economic conditions.

Photo: Tero Vesalainen, Getty Images