A recent survey reveals that appointment wait time is still the number one cause for complaint for patients in health care practices. The study aimed to discover current trends in patient satisfaction. Participants were asked to name their number one pet peeve when seeking the care of a medical provider. They were also asked to specify which types of practices they frequent.
The survey found that excessive wait time at an office prior to an appointment was the primary criticism of 72 percent of the 500- person sample. Respondents suggested numerous remedies including: “an advanced courtesy call if the wait can be anticipated”, “check in to let me know what is going on,” or “offer me a drink after I’ve been waiting fifteen minutes.”
Additional findings from the survey:
· Frustration with the lack of upfront information about the full cost of care was expressed by 41 percent of patients
with insurance.
· 19 percent of respondents who frequent specialty practices mentioned that they would like to feel remembered by the staff. As one respondent put it, “how does the receptionist not know my name with more than 10 visits in a 6-month period?”
· More than a quarter of survey respondents would like to be able to reach their doctor after hours or have a reliable message service available.
· What would be nice? Several respondents mentioned they would like to receive a printout of the day’s visit with stats like blood pressure, weight, etc, as well as what was discussed, and suggested actions.
One overarching conclusion from the survey is that if doctors want to differentiate themselves and provide an exceptional patient experience, they should provide outward signs that they are doing something about patient complaints, specifically regarding appointment wait times.
Source: Npress
Bookmark this page
Comments
Location: New York
I have just the book to help you answer complaints and keep the patient satisfied..especially the waiting complaints.
"I'm Sorry to Hear That...Real life responses to tthe 101 most common complaints in health care"
Fire Starter Press
Service Recovery means always saying "I'm sorry.."
LB