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Greetings!
Welcome to the summer edition of SullivanLuallin's BENCHMARK newsletter! This quarter, we explain how mystery patient visits help you get the real scoop on your practice; spotlight Minnesota Gastroenterology's staff pride program; include tips for managing a visit when a patient brings a list of questions; show a regional comparison of patient perception of the doctor taking time to answer questions; and introduce our newest team member, Lucie Sutherland!
Please feel free to forward this newsletter to your friends and colleagues.
- The SullivanLuallin Team
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The Power of a Mystery Patient Visit By Meryl Luallin
Recently as part of a service assessment preceding a
Customer Service Initiative we recommended that the practice conduct several mystery
patient visits. "That's ok, there's no
need," said the administrator of a large multi-specialty practice, "We pretty
much know everything that goes on. We
won't hear anything new."
"Hmmm," I thought to myself, "if you only knew..." I thought back to the visits I'd made to
practices that had been confident that they were privy to day to day
operations, and the surprises they received when they read the report.
For example, there was the Internal Medicine practice in an
Eastern state, where I visited to "get advice on how to quit smoking." (Though I'm not a smoker, it's an easy
symptom to use for a primary care visit.) The physician, an Internist, was very thorough. He took a full health history in his office,
and then had me go into the exam room to disrobe for a more complete physical. He listened to my heart and lungs, palpated
by belly and then told me to roll over onto my side. When I asked why, he said that he was going
to perform a rectal exam. Astounded I
said, "But I just want to quit smoking!" I persuaded him that I didn't need
further examination or testing - just a prescription for a medicine that would
help me kick the habit.
Frankly, had I been a real patient, I would have never
returned to the practice nor would I have had a positive thing to say about my
experience to friends or family. We
recommended to the doctor that he should tell patients in advance what will
take place during the exam to eliminate the unpleasant surprise factor.
A second experience also convinces me that practices don't
know as much as they think about what goes on at the front desk. I checked into an Orthopedic practice and paid
my self-pay $300 cash deposit. My visit
charge was $95. As I left, I went to the
counter and requested my change. Imagine
my surprise when the receptionist replied, "Oh we don't give the money back, we
put it on account against your next visit." I gave her a sharp look and said, "But I'm not coming back. I got what I
needed today. I want my change." Again the receptionist repeated, "We don't
give the money back. We send you a check at the end of our next month's billing
cycle." It took some real pressure on
two reluctant receptionists who finally relented and returned my remaining
cash.
The practice's policy had been rescinded years ago, but had
never been relayed to the folks at the front desk. Once again, as a first time patient, I was
underwhelmed by my first impression.
How
things REALLY happen in your practice is probably different from what you
believe. Try a professional mystery patient visit and get the real scoop!
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In the Best Practices... Spotlight on Minnesota Gastroenterology
Minnesota Gastroenterology, Inc. (MNGI) employees take
pride in their practice and the empathetic care they provide to patients. In fact, each August staff members celebrate their pride and dedication to
patients by sporting the button pictured to the left. In addition, the group sets up dry erase
boards on easels in the registration area and encourages patients to complete
the sentence, "I like MNGI because...."
Patient compliments including, "You really put me at ease for my
procedure," and "Everyone here is so calm and compassionate," reinforce
employees' pride and commitment to the organization and its mission.
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Q & A: Patients with Lists of Questions
Some
of our doctors seem buffaloed by patients who arrive with lists of
questions. In fact, they say that these
lists contribute to their running behind.
Is there an easy solution?
Not all providers cringe at the sight of a list. In fact, many doctors like it when patients
produce a written set of questions. "I
like to know up front what patients expect from the visit," said one family
practitioner at a recent Excelling at the Art
of Medicine workshop. The first step when
patients reach for a list is to get them to give it to the doctor. If patients "dole out" their questions one at
a time, they'll be in control of the pace of the visit, not the provider. Once the doctor has the list she can quickly
scan the questions and prioritize in order of importance.
Getting the list away from the patient isn't always easy.
Dr. Daniel Konold uses the line, "Seeing all your complaints at once often lets
me come to a more accurate diagnosis." For patients who say, "But, you can't read my writing," a good response
is, "I'm a doctor. I can read anybody's writing!"
Finally,
if the patient still clings to the list, the doctor's best bet is to pull his
chair alongside the patient and review the list together.
Have a question you'd like our team to answer? Email us!
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Users' Corner: Regional Differences in Patient Perception of the Doctor Taking Time to Answer Questions
The MGMA-SullivanLuallin patient survey database says something important
about regional differences in scores for patient perceptions of the doctor "Taking time to answer your questions."
The illustration below shows each region's score for this survey question, which correlates significantly with overall satisfaction and willingness to
refer the provider to others:
So how can you persuade your patients that you're
spending time to answer their questions? Try these simple techniques: 1. Use
eye contact. Studies show that eye contact equates
with patient perceptions not only of how much time a physician is spending with
them, but also reinforces the notion that patients have important things to
say. 2. Use
the phrase "That's a good question." To build patients' self-esteem. This is an "empathy" techniques
that tells patients their thoughts and answers are important to you, and worth
listening to. 3. Provide written
information on the patient's illness or injury. There are several excellent sources
of information, many provided by pharmaceutical companies, which you can
download and print; giving written clarification also reduces the workload from
call-backs asking you to repeat information for patients and/or care-givers. 4. Clarify the patient's understanding. Be
certain that the explanation and/or treatment plan is simple enough for
patients to understand and "bring back" to their family members. For more information about how we can help your physicians raise survey scores, email us or call 619.283.8988 today!
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Staff Feature: Lucie Sutherland
After graduating from Chico State University with a degree in
Communication Studies, Lucie decided to pursue a career as a Project
Coordinator. She brings to the company over 6 years of experience in this
role, and currently has the primary responsibility of handling the myriad details that ensure our client's Customer Service programs are successful. Only three
months with the company and Lucie is already receiving accolades for easing our
client's administrative burdens! In her spare time, Lucie enjoys athletic activities such as running, hiking,
yoga and aerobics; reading; traveling; and spending time with her friends and
family.
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SullivanLuallin specializes in patient satisfaction
services, and is the premier healthcare customer service consulting firm in the
nation. For over 25 years, we've helped physician practices implement Customer
Service Initiatives that produce immediate improvement and ongoing results. Clients
come to us for on-site and web-based Customer Service training, Shadow Coaching
for low-scoring physicians, Mystery Patient/Mystery Caller assessments, and
Customer Satisfaction surveys.
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