Ambulatory surgery centers are praised in the healthcare industry for their high patient satisfaction scores, and your center should be no different. Here are five proven ways to improve patient satisfaction in an ASC.
1. Incent employees to improve patient satisfaction scores. In order to keep patient satisfaction high, you need to enlist your nursing and front desk staff. Keep track of patient satisfaction scores over time, then tell your staff that your center will distribute a bonus at the end of the year based on measurable benchmarks. These benchmarks can incent various goals throughout the ASC, including patient satisfaction scores. According to Sarah Martin, regional vice president of operations for Meridian Surgical Partners, every staff member —– from business office to clinical —– can assist in patient and physician satisfaction, meaning an incentive program could really bring your team together.
Make sure to set a quantifiable goal for your incentive program. Ask your staff to help raise patient satisfaction scores by five percent, for example, and distribute a bonus if the center hits that target.
From: Developing and Implementing an ASC Incentive Program: Q&A With Sarah Martin of Meridian Surgical Partners
2. Investigate every complaint. Even if you think the complaint is unfounded, Sandra Jones, executive vice president of ASD Management, says an ASC must investigate every complaint to find out what went wrong or how a misunderstanding occurred. "Take it seriously and try to understand if it's a valid complaint," she says. "If it's a misunderstanding, you can see what you can do to improve your center's communication. If it's a valid complaint, maybe you need to make something better in your center."
You might assume your physicians and staff members know best, but be careful about jumping to conclusions. If you treat the customer like his or her complaint is invalid, you might produce even more trouble in the form of an angry, humiliated and now former patient. Take some time to listen to both sides, Ms. Jones says.
From: 8 Ways to Effectively Handle Complaints From Patients, Physicians and Staff
3. Spend extra time with each patient. Patients often equate feelings of satisfaction with the amount of time and contact they have with their surgeons throughout the treatment process. The surgeons at The Bonati Spine Institute [need to provide location and explain why this is referenced or remove] areshould be encouraged to focus their time on their patients and make sure the patient's needs are met, says Pam Lagano, of Lagano & Associates. "The success rate is high because we understand the needs of the patient," says Ms. Lagano. "The patients know our surgeons and medical staff are focused on providing optimum results every step of the way."
From: 7 Key Elements for Achieving High Patient Satisfaction and Better Outcomes in Orthopedic and Spine Surgery
4. Use your website to your advantage. Bill Rabourn, founder and managing principal of Medical Consulting Group, says websites are an essential tool for surgery centers that want to capture more market share and keep patients happy. A great website should include location, contact and parking information, meaning the surgery center's address, phone number and where the patient should park for their visits, Mr. Rabourn says. An easy way to provide location information is by including an online map, such as Google Maps or MapQuest, of the surrounding area.
The site should also include patient forms, which your staff should encourage patients to download and complete before their visit to your center to decrease time filling out paperwork at the facility. The website could also include educational materials on treatment and rehabilitation, pictures and photo tours of your facility, video clips of previous patients talking about their experience and physician profiles. Designing a clear, thorough website will help attract new patients to your center as well as improve the experience for patients preparing for surgery.
From: 6 Essential Elements for Surgery Center Websites
5. Keep the patient's family happy. Becky Mann, director of Houston Orthopedic Surgery Center in Warner Robins, Ga., says ASCs can make a big difference in patient satisfaction by treating the patient's family well. "We work very hard to ensure that our patients' families are happy during their visit," she says. "We try as much as we can to make our lobby feel like home, rather than just a waiting area."
The surgery center provides refreshments, including muffins every morning, for the families visiting the center and also keeps blankets and a DVD player with a variety of movie selections available for family members. Lisa Kesler, a business office employee, reports that she routinely steps away from her front-office responsibilities to interact with patients' families. "Hourly, I ask the families if they would like something to drink, or if they'd like an update on their family member."
From: Standing Out in a Competitive Surgery Center Market: It's All About the Patient
Read more advice on running a successful ASC:
-3 Success Factors for Orthopedic-Driven ASCs
-5 Ways to Increase Surgery Center Distributions in 2011
-8 Insights Into Successful Hospital/ASC Joint Ventures
1. Incent employees to improve patient satisfaction scores. In order to keep patient satisfaction high, you need to enlist your nursing and front desk staff. Keep track of patient satisfaction scores over time, then tell your staff that your center will distribute a bonus at the end of the year based on measurable benchmarks. These benchmarks can incent various goals throughout the ASC, including patient satisfaction scores. According to Sarah Martin, regional vice president of operations for Meridian Surgical Partners, every staff member —– from business office to clinical —– can assist in patient and physician satisfaction, meaning an incentive program could really bring your team together.
Make sure to set a quantifiable goal for your incentive program. Ask your staff to help raise patient satisfaction scores by five percent, for example, and distribute a bonus if the center hits that target.
From: Developing and Implementing an ASC Incentive Program: Q&A With Sarah Martin of Meridian Surgical Partners
2. Investigate every complaint. Even if you think the complaint is unfounded, Sandra Jones, executive vice president of ASD Management, says an ASC must investigate every complaint to find out what went wrong or how a misunderstanding occurred. "Take it seriously and try to understand if it's a valid complaint," she says. "If it's a misunderstanding, you can see what you can do to improve your center's communication. If it's a valid complaint, maybe you need to make something better in your center."
You might assume your physicians and staff members know best, but be careful about jumping to conclusions. If you treat the customer like his or her complaint is invalid, you might produce even more trouble in the form of an angry, humiliated and now former patient. Take some time to listen to both sides, Ms. Jones says.
From: 8 Ways to Effectively Handle Complaints From Patients, Physicians and Staff
3. Spend extra time with each patient. Patients often equate feelings of satisfaction with the amount of time and contact they have with their surgeons throughout the treatment process. The surgeons at The Bonati Spine Institute [need to provide location and explain why this is referenced or remove] areshould be encouraged to focus their time on their patients and make sure the patient's needs are met, says Pam Lagano, of Lagano & Associates. "The success rate is high because we understand the needs of the patient," says Ms. Lagano. "The patients know our surgeons and medical staff are focused on providing optimum results every step of the way."
From: 7 Key Elements for Achieving High Patient Satisfaction and Better Outcomes in Orthopedic and Spine Surgery
4. Use your website to your advantage. Bill Rabourn, founder and managing principal of Medical Consulting Group, says websites are an essential tool for surgery centers that want to capture more market share and keep patients happy. A great website should include location, contact and parking information, meaning the surgery center's address, phone number and where the patient should park for their visits, Mr. Rabourn says. An easy way to provide location information is by including an online map, such as Google Maps or MapQuest, of the surrounding area.
The site should also include patient forms, which your staff should encourage patients to download and complete before their visit to your center to decrease time filling out paperwork at the facility. The website could also include educational materials on treatment and rehabilitation, pictures and photo tours of your facility, video clips of previous patients talking about their experience and physician profiles. Designing a clear, thorough website will help attract new patients to your center as well as improve the experience for patients preparing for surgery.
From: 6 Essential Elements for Surgery Center Websites
5. Keep the patient's family happy. Becky Mann, director of Houston Orthopedic Surgery Center in Warner Robins, Ga., says ASCs can make a big difference in patient satisfaction by treating the patient's family well. "We work very hard to ensure that our patients' families are happy during their visit," she says. "We try as much as we can to make our lobby feel like home, rather than just a waiting area."
The surgery center provides refreshments, including muffins every morning, for the families visiting the center and also keeps blankets and a DVD player with a variety of movie selections available for family members. Lisa Kesler, a business office employee, reports that she routinely steps away from her front-office responsibilities to interact with patients' families. "Hourly, I ask the families if they would like something to drink, or if they'd like an update on their family member."
From: Standing Out in a Competitive Surgery Center Market: It's All About the Patient
Read more advice on running a successful ASC:
-3 Success Factors for Orthopedic-Driven ASCs
-5 Ways to Increase Surgery Center Distributions in 2011
-8 Insights Into Successful Hospital/ASC Joint Ventures