Promoting Professionalism: Creating the Excellent Patient Experience Program

The concept of customer care is part of the future in the dental/medical profession. The phrase “customer care” was chosen to focus on the fact that patients are paying customers that have a choice and that the experience may include more than just the patient. In this day and age, there is more competition than ever, and consumers have a plethora of information to make informed decisions. Many physicians are using advertising such as radio, television and print ads to broaden public awareness. As a result, the medical profession is not what it used to be.

This increase in competition, patients who are very knowledgeable, online customer satisfaction surveys, higher patient expectations, along with more of the pie being shared by insurance companies, coupled with the need for more personnel to do the added paperwork, all contribute to a decrease in the bottom line. In an effort to help maintain and grow a practice, many healthcare providers are looking harder at the professionalism of the team and the total patient experience.

Studies indicate that the patient’s perception of the office team and environment is an extension of the physician/dentist and that a choice to change their professional care was often not attributed to the healthcare they received. Impressions are powerful in any meeting or professional treatment. They are intuitive behavior, read by the conscious and subconscious mind and can be made over the telephone as well as in person. It is difficult for any physician/doctor to overcome a poor first impression made by his/her team or surroundings. As a result, physicians and doctors may be losing patients and patient referrals every day that they are unaware of.

Today, success is measured by the whole office encounter, which includes treatment and the total patient experience. A smooth-running office requires people skills which allow you to be immediately liked, trusted and respected. In today’s competitive medical arenas, proper medical and dental office protocol is expected by patients. However, for most healthcare professionals, soft skills are one of the most underestimated, yet most important areas to improve upon in their offices. Why leave yourself open to the problem?

The focus of the Promoting Professionalism program is to keep you from being the best kept secret in your area of expertise.

The program is taught in three modules:

Module 1 – The Healthcare Professional
Module 2 – The Successful Team
Module 3 – Delivering Excellent Patient Care

YOUR OFFICE WILL LEARN:

• The number one complaint in a physicians/doctors office and how to avoid it
• How well you listen
• How to speak in a way that motivates others
• How to come across better to your patients
• How to maximize the reception room experience
• How to work with the team
• The number one way healthcare providers and their staff show respect
• How to handle difficult patients
• Persuasive use of your voice
• Your center of power
• Proper telephone etiquette, your other front door
• The all important meeting and greeting of patients
• The WOW experience
• How to make a positive impression over the telephone
• How to market the physician/doctor

YOUR OFFICE WILL BECOME AWARE OF:

• Total office perception
• Internal and external expectations
• The number one reason patients come to you
• How you come across to others
• Why patients leave your practice
• How to improve your patient return rate
• The power of thank you
• How well you communicate with your patients and your team members
• Office presence
• The concept of through the uniform
  … and much more!

Module 3 – Delivering Excellent Patient Care
Module Three contains four parts and will take approximately one and one-half hours of video time.
Module Three – Part One: Customer Service Introduction, Customer Expectations
Module Three – Part Two: Exceeding Customer Expectations – Part 1
Module Three – Part Three: Exceeding Customer Expectations – Part 2
Module Three – Part Four: Exceeding Customer Expectations – Part 3

Module 2 –  The Successful Team
Module two contains five parts and will take approximately two hours of video time.
Module Two – Part One – Beliefs and Values
Module Two – Part Two – Communication – part 1
Module Two – Part Three – Communication – part 2
Module Two – Part Four – Components of Teamwork
Module Two – Part Five – Attitude