The Medical Group Management Association's (MGMA) 2018 Patient Review Reportprovides an insightful window into the mind of the patient. MGMA reviewed seven million (Million! That's not a typo!) patient review forms and came away with two key takeaways:
But the data shows that our patients have other things on their minds when they enter our practices. Instead of their insurance or the credibility of the doctor and staff, they are more concerned with how they are treated as individuals.
As we have discussed in the past, it is almost a foregone conclusion to patients that they will receive quality medical care. In most cases, they trust our knowledge and expertise, so the only thing up in the air when they enter the practice is how they will be treated as a person. The report notes, "Quality healthcare is a team effort. Of the attributes most commonly mentioned in a review, the topic cited most frequently in both a positive or negative review is the interaction that the patient has with a doctor's staff. In the text analysis of the most commonly-used phrases in negative open-comment reviews, office staff interactions rise to the top." This is why the topic of employee engagement is so important in the medical industry. A recent study by Gallup shows that 15% of employees worldwide are engaged in their jobs. It's worth pointing out the obvious math here and notes that this means that 85% of employees are disengaged in their work. But what does this even mean? No, it does not mean that employees are unhappy or unsatisfied in their work. Employee engagement is defined as the emotional commitment the employee has to the organization and its goals. As providers of medicine, our primary goal is the physical and emotional care of our patients. When an employee is disengaged in the business, it means they are fully self-engaged. Here are a few likely truths about disengaged employees:
If our front desk, financial team, technicians, etc. are not engaged on a day-to-day basis, their minds aren't on our patients and their needs. The primary impact employee disengagement has on any business is customer service. So how do you begin working to ensure that your employees are engaged and, in turn, your patient's emotional needs are being met? Here are three quick tips! Be intentional about spending time with them There is something special about the employer/employee relationship. While it is good to avoid getting too close to your employees, spending time with them and getting to know them is one of the most important ways to increase engagement. When you learn about their stories, background, and goals, you develop a rapport that automatically increases their buy-in. As always, time is the challenge here, but the key is to maximize your opportunities. If you have a break area in your practice, see if you can increase the time you spend there and engage your employees every chance you get. If possible, take one or two employees out to lunch each month with the sole purpose of getting to know them better. The point is that people feel valued when someone sincerely takes an interest in them. This can't be a superficial effort on your part, but if you invest your time and learn more about your employees, research shows they will be much more engaged in their work and performance. Gather and act on employee feedback The amount of unused employee feedback could probably fill every landfill in the United States. If you ask your employees for their thoughts and opinions and never take action on their suggestions, you will definitely create disengaged team members. No, you shouldn't implement everything your staff suggests, but you should definitely let them know that you appreciate their feedback and follow that with a solid reason as to why you did or didn't implement their recommendation. Giving your employees a voice in the business is a crucial step to increase engagement, but to do this well, you must find time to sit down with your employees and hear them out. This is not the place for employee surveys or phone conversations. Hearing the concerns and suggestions of your team and responding to them will create a high level of engagement in your practice and increase employee buy-in across the board. Fill them in on the practice's performance The vast majority of employees have no idea how the business they work for is performing. Are we growing? Making or losing money? A lack of knowledge breeds assumptions and this is something you want to avoid in your practice. You should know how your practice is performing and bring your team in on this. This includes numbers on new patients, returning patients, customer service survey results, and financials. Imagine watching a football game that continues year after year where only the head coach knows the score. Maybe his players did at one point, but they certainly have no clue how they are doing now. Pulling back the curtain on the details of your practice will give your employees a sense of ownership and pride in how the business performs as a whole. This, paired with proper goal-setting, is an effective way to increase employee engagement and boost morale. Conclusion The most dangerous thing about employee engagement is that a lack of it rarely ever directly impacts the business owner on a day-to-day basis. There are long-term financial implications, but disengaged employees are hard to see at a quick glance. The primary benefit of engaged employees will be seen by your patients. Referencing the quality of a patient's visit, the MGMA report states, "While the appointment is the anchor of a doctor's office visit, staff members are typically the 'face' of the office experience. In some cases, a patient may spend more time interacting with staff members than the providers themselves. Even when their individual appointments are successful, providers benefit when their entire office staff creates a positive experience for patients. Ensuring staff members have the resources and recognition to offer a high level of customer service reflects well on the practice as a whole, and patients are more likely to associate a pleasant office experience with quality care, and to refer friends and family." There are many ways you can increase employee engagement in your practice, but being intentional about improving the culture of your practice will ultimately increase your patient's satisfaction and your bottom line.
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AuthorThe staff and doctors at VisionAmerica are committed to providing relevant information for you, your patients and your practice. We hope you find the information in our blog post helpful. Archives
August 2019
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