Your office environment is the first impression you give to patients, family members, the community and outside representatives who visit. Your office, including both operations and appearances, represent you and the services you provide.
If your office is disorganized, your patients may feel frustration through delays and setbacks. If your office is dirty, your patients will not want to be treated for fear of worsening their health. On the other hand, if you keep a clean, organized practice, your patients will appreciate the efforts you make to improve services.
You do not want your patients to leave your office more stressed than when they entered. There are things you can do to make sure your office to show you care about anyone who walks through the door. Below are 9 tips to make your office more inviting.
Comfortable Seating
The time sitting in your front office can range from just a few minutes to many minutes, depending on your case load, patients who showed up late and delayed your schedule, or for other unknown reasons. To a patient, this time can feel like an eternity, especially if they are ill or injured.
The best thing you can do for your patient is to make them as comfortable as possible, so that if they must wait longer than expected, you are not creating more pain for them.
Privacy
Your patients do not want to share space with other sick patients, much less their private information. While some patients do not care as much about privacy, there are others who want it to be a priority.
You can create private sections or even rooms for patients waiting to be seen. Not all patients will choose the private space. However, just having the options makes your office more inviting.
Technology
You may be thinking in terms of technology for your staff, which are very important. Web based portals and software packages need to be at the top of your priority list. Using a software company, preferably one that also can help you become an in-house dispenser, can handle all your technology needs.
But just as important is the technological needs and wants of patients. Technology has its downfalls. But it can also be a great distraction. For a mom to be able to play a video for her crying baby in the waiting room, or a teenager to listen to music as a distraction from pain, will only improve your offices environment.
Decorations
No one wants to sit for half an hour in a doctor’s office and stare at biology posters featuring broken bones, nasal passages or even worse, sexually transmitted diseases. Patients want to be informed, but there is a limit to what they want to learn while waiting on you to arrive.
Place art work and decorations that promote serenity and encourages a positive reaction.
Streamlined Benefits
If you do decide to dispense in office, you will reap the benefits of the software program benefits. Your staff will be able to provide your patients with answers to questions before they even know they have a question.
Staff will be able to update them on wait time and print educational information for them to read while reading. Staff, with just a few simple clicks, can refill medicines and communicate with insurance companies directly. No more waiting for call backs and faxes.
Patients will notice the difference when practices are streamlined.
Make Your Employees Happy
Your staff will be happy when they realize just how much easier their jobs can be when dispensing prepackaged medications to patients. Employees want to do an excellent job. They want to enjoy their workdays. They want you to have a successful practice.
The duties within your office will be streamlined and this will make your staff happy. Using a web-based portal, most point of care dispensing duties are completed for your staff. All they must do is learn the software. When it is time, they simply click a few buttons on the computer and they can complete a range of duties, from billing to dispensing to refills.
When you staff is happy, it will carry over to your patients.
Freebies
Everyone loves freebies, especially your patients. Don’t miss an opportunity to give them something for free. While many organizations like to give away candy or food for free, your gifts need to be healthier in nature. They can also promote your business.
Giving away pedometers with your logo on them, biofeedback stickers, or even vials filled with essential oils will be a pleasant surprise to your patients.
Seating Arrangements
Most of the time, one person arrives for their appointment with you. Other times, one person arrives with six of their family members and they want all of them to tag along throughout the entire appointment process.
Have a larger exam room where more family members can attend. Provide section seating just for larger families. This will prevent family members from being scattered throughout your office and waiting room, yelling across to one another, annoying other patients.
Provide as Many Services as Possible
The more services you provide to your patients at the point of care, the better. You are showing you care about your patients by saving them time and closing the gap between the time you prescribe an order to the time they receive it.
Even if you can’t provide patients with shorter wait times, by providing more services such as dispensing, there are ways you can make them feel as if it is shorter. Simply moving your patients to different stations within your office, allowing them to meet briefly with your staff and be treated the conveniences you provide, can make a person feel attended to versus being stuck in a waiting room.
Patient loyalty is key to a successful practice. With their loyalty comes referrals. You won’t even need to advertise your practice if you have loyal patients. Using prepackaged medications to meet your patients’ needs will increase loyalty and naturally increase the number of people seeking your services.