As an ophthalmologist, you have an incredible level of expertise that can genuinely change your patients’ lives. While your patients seek you out for that unique expertise, the reality is that most of your patients may not see the whole picture of your expert care plan. As a doctor responsible for your practice, you need to see things from your patients’ perspectives to improve their experience and keep your practice growing.
Prioritize patients’ time
As the saying goes, “Time is money.” In the medical field, respecting your patients’ time will likely positively impact your bottom line. Your patients don’t want to call your office to be put on hold or sit around in your comfortable waiting room, wasting half an hour of their day. From using the right software and setting up online scheduling and patient forms to creating a streamlined patient flow from when patients arrive in your office, some simple changes can make the most of your patients’ time.
Educate patients
When you deal with glaucoma and cataracts daily, they may seem routine, but these can be life-changing vision problems for your patients. It can be tempting to gloss over details and put patients on a fast track to treatment, but your patients will likely want to understand their condition and treatment plan. Offer your patients time to ask questions and give them clear answers patiently, even if you have already answered the same questions five times. You may also want to share your expertise by providing educational materials on common eye conditions through your social media pages, videos, brochures, and webinars.
Hire exceptional employees
Your practice is bigger than yours. According to a study, the majority of Yelp reviews of ophthalmologists did not focus on the physician at all but rather on other factors in the practice. Three out of 4 negative reviews were about non-physician factors! This means that you could be the best ophthalmologist in the nation, but if your practice runs poorly, it will affect your reputation. While your area of expertise lies in providing excellent diagnosis and treatment of eye conditions, your practice’s employees are the ones who must be “experts” in most other aspects of your practice. Invest in competent, dedicated staff and provide the training, benefits, and support they need to thrive and give your patients the best experience with your practice.
