Whether it’s the first time or the fifth, pregnancy can be an overwhelming experience for everyone. This is the time when having a trusted obstetrician makes all the difference.
Patients attending a private practice can enjoy the dedicated care of a single doctor through their whole pregnancy and beyond. Whatever awaits on the journey to motherhood, an obstetrician is equipped to handle any complications.
Pregnancy, birth and motherhood are no doubt an intense period of a woman’s life. Providing great service as an obstetrician is more than the medical procedures — it’s ensuring every mum walks away happy, healthy and empowered. Here we’ve compiled simple yet effective ideas to improve patient satisfaction and care.
1. Aim to educate
All the patients that walk through your door are women, leaders, workers, business owners, spouses, sisters, parents in their own right. That’s why the best kind of patient care aims to treat all patients as the humans they are. This includes primarily educating and empowering patients through the whole process.
Patient safety in obstetrics extends further than the clinic — it involves equipping patients with the information that will ensure the health of mother and baby alike. Being accessible is crucial, along with staying equipped and ready to answer all queries. Everyone will appreciate the reassurance throughout.
Consider how you can:
- Provide digital and print copies of all informational materials — to ensure all content is easily accessible for patients. Having answers to FAQs ready will also free you up to answer the more complicated questions that your patients may ask.
- Set up systems to stay in contact and keep mothers in the loop — being on their speed dial is only the first step. Your patients will appreciate short waiting periods for results, easy access to their relevant details, and multiple modes of getting in contact with you should something arise. Consider how different technology platforms can enhance the patient experience.
2. Create a positive waiting room experience
Often the ideas to improve patient satisfaction begin with the waiting room — it’s an important space. No matter how long or short the wait might be, it’s crucial to create a comfortable and safe environment to welcome all those passing through. A positive waiting room experience is achievable through a number of practical ways, including:
- Keeping waiting times short — it’s an obvious tip, and a useful one to reiterate. Maintaining a timely appointment system ensures no one’s waiting too long to see a patient or see an obstetrician. Useful cloud apps and other programs also enable patients to more easily book and update their appointments, so everyone’s always on the same page.
- Ensuring there’s always a friendly receptionist. First impressions greatly influence people’s overall experience, so make sure the first impression is one with a smile.
- Opting for brightly lit interiors. Fluorescent lighting is prone to dimness and flickering, which often creates a disruptive and distracting experience for patients. LED and other types of bright lighting more effectively mimic natural sunlight and provide a welcoming interior.
- Avoid filling your waiting room with too many chairs. No matter how short the waiting times may be, having too many chairs gives the impression to patients that they’ll be waiting for a long time behind a crowd of other patients.
- Providing a simple play area for small children, including colourful mats, toys safe for every age group, along with children’s books.
- Providing complimentary wifi. It’s a simple gesture, that enhances the waiting experience.
3. Be culturally aware
Every person who becomes a patient bears a different cultural background. Being culturally aware and implementing a culturally sensitive mindset will often dramatically enhance patient satisfaction and patient safety in obstetrics. Investigate common concerns, through interviewing former patients, and research cultural practices to better cater for specific groups of people.
4. Invest in following up
The days, weeks and months following birth, it can be an extremely challenging and rewarding time for new mothers. Regular following up are a welcome way to delight your customers, when done well. This may involve anything from sending a bouquet of flowers to their house in the week following delivery, to giving them a call a month in.
Over to you
As with obstetricians and other medical professionals, patient safety and satisfaction often go hand in hand. Empowered patients make for happier people. These are only a handful of simple ideas to improve patient satisfaction, with many more possibilities out there, enabled by smarter technology and opportunities. How do you ensure a positive experience for every patient?
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