Providing Customer Service In Health Care

Examples of Excellent Customer Service in Healthcare

WebAug 23, 2023 · Here are a few ways for providing excellent patient care: Improved Communication Between Staff & Patients The healthcare providers are able to provide a clear explanation of what happens …

1. Discovering healthcare products and services. Searching and selecting the products and services the patient needs is the first touchpoint in the customer experience.
2. Scheduling appointments. Appointment scheduling is typically the first active engagement between the patient and a healthcare company. During this interaction, the company often collects basic information about the patient and his or her healthcare needs.
3. Appointment check-in process. Patient check-in for a scheduled appointment or a walk-in visit is typically the first in-person interaction with the healthcare company.
4. Service delivery experience. At the appointed time, the patient begins to receive services from a healthcare provider. This is definitely the patient’s most important customer service experience.
5. Continuation of care. Many healthcare experiences require more than one activity and often more than one appointment. Practitioners may need to refer patients for tests, request them to return for follow-up appointments, or refer them to other practitioners.
6. Create clear procedures for sensitive information. One of the primary considerations in healthcare is privacy. Currently, most countries have specific laws governing how health-related information is stored and shared, such as HIPAA in the U.S.
7. Offer specialized training for difficult situations. There isn’t a customer service job free from stress. Anytime someone uses a product or service from a company, they have a certain expectation of that company.
8. Empower patients to help themselves. If you do customer service at any company, after a while you’ll notice there are certain requests that come up often.
9. Collect patient feedback. The best way to understand what someone needs from you is to ask. Feedback plays an important role in understanding where you’re excelling and where you can improve.
10. Encourage team self-care. As mentioned throughout this article, the stakes can be pretty high working in healthcare. Whether you’re reviewing claims, trying to assist directly with a health issue, or simply aiding in someone’s recovery, it can take a big emotional toll.
11. Improve Accessibility Over the Phone. A medical emergency can happen at any time. Patients need to know that they can contact their healthcare provider 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
12. Improve Accessibility Online. A lot of people prefer scheduling medical appointments online. It saves time and, if executed properly, limits the risk of miscommunication.
13. Use a “Bottom-Up” Approach to Customer Service. Most businesses implement a “top-down” approach to customer service. This means that the management sets the customer service protocol and passes this information down the pipeline to the workers who will directly interact with customers.
14. Allow Patients to Give Feedback. You can’t please 100% of the people 100% of the time. However, don’t let this deter you from developing good customer service skills in the medical field.
15. Ensure Accountability at Every Level. Customer service suffers when a healthcare organization lacks accountability. If an employee knows that they will not be held accountable for their actions, they’re more inclined to provide poor customer service.

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