5 Ways to Improve the Patient Experience at Your Dermatology Practice
The client experience has become a buzzword in all businesses in the last few years. In medicine, the patient experience has become central to running a successful, profitable dermatology practice. And the pressures of offering superior care are high. When patients choose your clinic out of the many options available to them, they trust you to provide a comfortable and seamless experience that empowers them to engage and take charge of their own health and well-being.
As options for healthcare become increasingly more convenient for patients, patients prefer healthcare providers that promote personalized healthcare; they want to be recognized as individuals with unique desires and needs. For example, 92 percent of patients expect their healthcare providers to send them personalized reminders and messages.
Offering a human touch while providing streamlined, accessible digital support will be essential for dermatology practices to both retain and recruit new patients. Here are five ways to enhance the patient experience at your practice.
Offer Educational Resources for a Variety of Learning Styles
When 90 percent of all adults have at least some difficulty understanding medical information, it’s likely that many of your patients aren’t well versed in dermatology terminology—let alone dermatopathology. As a result, many of them may feel lost, confused, or scared when visiting your practice due to a lack of education concerning diagnosing and treating skin conditions.
Not only can education ease worries and help your patients relax into your practice, but it is also shown to improve outcomes and adherence. According to Clinics in Dermatology, those with low health literacy not only know less about how to care for their health, but they also “often report having a worse health status and are less likely to seek preventive care.” On the other hand, with education, patients are more likely to care for their health and follow recommended treatment plans.
Educational offerings personalized to the patient’s learning style are critical. Auditory learners can glean the most from verbal education you provide during the patient visit. Because the majority of people are visual learners, providing written materials is helpful, but especially patient photos and digital images like dermpath slides are even more important to help support your verbal teaching and instructions.
Colorful take-home educational brochures are appreciated and captivating. Younger clients will appreciate linked educational brochures (more green!), informational and how-to videos with live demonstrations on your website or social media feed, links to educational websites and recommended products, and other interactive web-based materials. By providing patients with in-depth information about what to expect, what diagnoses mean, and the importance of treatment in a variety of learning styles, you can better connect with your patients and provide educational tools personalized for the patient.
Define and Perfect Your Niche
Try acting as a secret shopper for your own practice. Would your practice stand out? What do you offer that other clinics don’t? As you examine your dermatology practice, take the time to not only perform competitive analysis but also consider new offerings or practice niches that inspire you and allow you to bring that excitement and energy to the patient experience.
For example, you may have a local family group with a rare dermatologic condition. This could become an area of interest for you, encouraging you to stay up to date with the most novel treatment conditions to help these patients. Look to offer new or unique services that your patients often request so they can receive continuity of care from you rather than going to another office. By finding new areas of focus, you will be motivated to participate in continuing medical education that will be useful, be at the cutting edge of diagnostic and treatment options for your patients, and show them that you care about meeting their needs.
Streamline the Diagnosis Process to Improve Turnaround Time
Your patients rely on you to provide them with a correct and timely diagnosis. According to the College of American Pathologists (CAP), a dermatopathology lab should require no more than 48 hours to diagnose standard cases. However, it’s not always easy to provide those quick results to your patients, especially when there are many variables that can increase turnaround time like inefficient processes, transportation, lab workflows, and report delivery issues.
All labs—including your clinic and associated dermatopathology laboratories—must exercise effective communication, have a written protocol in place, and foster a comprehensive understanding of how results are shared in order to improve patient care and expedite treatment. Open all lines of communication with your dermpath lab, stay in contact about the status of your cases, and be proactive. By developing all communication details and addressing factors that could impact diagnosis, you can improve turnaround time as well as your patients’ satisfaction.
Offer a Dedicated, Consistent Experience
As consumers, we enjoy frequenting places where we know we will get a consistently great client experience. Companies such as Apple, Starbucks, and others understand the importance of providing a superior experience every time. As cookie-cutter healthcare threatens to depersonalize the patient experience, patients increasingly appreciate being known and knowing what to expect at their appointments. This means not only offering personalized digital support to allow easy, streamlined touchpoints with your clinic—like online scheduling and messaging, digital pathology services, and automated text reminders—but also making yourself accessible to their questions both in and outside the office.
When patients visit your clinic, as another aspect to your secret shopper exercise, consider every step of their experience. Train your staff to communicate diagnoses effectively and kindly to patients, pay close attention to how you empower your patients to understand their health and well-being, and listen to their needs. For example, with PathologyWatch’s digital pathology, dermatologists can use digital slides as a visual tool to help teach the patient about their specific diagnosis and personal treatment plan and help answer their questions in a truly personal way. By taking the time to truly help your patients understand their diagnoses, you can ensure that they will feel not only more supported and understood but also well prepared to own their healthcare choices.
Invest in Partners That Also Provide Consistent, Excellent Service
Because many parts of the dermatology office require support from outside vendors, be sure to choose vendors who offer a similar customer experience as a client or colleague. When you have challenges or questions, you will also benefit from partners who will respond to your clinic’s specific needs and requests. Like many healthcare specialties, digital services have accelerated in dermatology, offering new opportunities for collaboration with patients and dermatopathology labs alike. With electronic medical record (EMR) technology, for example, it’s easier than ever to house patient information in an organized location and share it with other healthcare providers, insurance, and more. By investing in these digital technologies, you can not only stay ahead of the curve but also simplify patient processes and personalize experiences.
PathologyWatch, for example, enhances clinic flexibility by providing various reporting options, promoting a personal relationship between the consultant pathologist and the dermatologist, be more accessible for questions, and provide an intuitive digital interface where dermatologists and dermatopathologists can share valuable clinical information like medical history, visit notes, and clinical photos. Enabling automated and personal notifications for important results, providing definitive reports to help solidify treatment decisions, and building a great remote support team are some of the ways that PathologyWatch stands out from other pathology experiences.
Improving the patient experience is essential for the growth and success of any dermatology practice. By implementing these strategies—from offering personalized care to choosing supportive partners—you’ll not only meet your patient’s growing expectations but also stand out in a competitive field.