In a physical therapy clinic, having positive patient retention is key to avoiding rising costs for the clinic. However, when patient retention’s low, that means loyalty takes a nosedive as well, and that’s not something that needs to happen in your clinic. So, to help further enhance the overall patient experience, here is a guide with tips for increasing physical therapy patient retention.
Take a Walk in the Patient’s Shoes
With every patient that walks through the physical therapy clinic’s doors and leaves abruptly, we need to take the opportunity to stop and figure out what caused a patient to turn around and drive away. So, to help with that, take a look at the patient experience at the front desk.
While sitting at the front desk, observe each interaction and jot down everything you notice. For example, how long a patient waits, how friendly the staff members are, and how many forms patients need to sign.
After going over your observation, make some improvements. For example, if there are some forms a patient can do in their own time before an appointment, consider adding a portal for patients can access. What if there are communication problems, or staff doesn’t react appropriately to questions? Situations like these are the perfect moments to pull team members aside and retrain. Also, include memos of when changes get made so everyone can stay up to date.
Train and Retrain All Staff
As a physical therapy clinic owner or manager, staff members must treat patients like family. Otherwise, patients won’t want to come to the clinic. To help avoid negativity and handle stress, check in with each staff member and ask them what you can do to improve their work experience.
Additionally, when a staff member is unfriendly or doesn’t know the proper way to greet a patient, take them aside and train them. Keep taking staff members through training protocols to help improve experiences for both parties.
Re-Configure Your Business Operations
Each physical therapy clinic is different, so it’s essential to enhance the patient experience and keep all operations in order. The best way to run a physical therapy business and be successful is to keep yourself updated on everything, especially the type of insurances accepted and clinic policies.
Additionally, when running a clinic, it’s essential to have health and cleaning policies in place. For example, having a daily chore list for staff can help keep the clinic clean and procedures running well.
Take All Feedback Into Consideration
When managing a clinic, it’s essential to take every patient review seriously. Many patients enjoy leaving feedback to help improve the business to meet their needs. By implementing a track record of all thoughts and feedback, you have a better way of knowing what to improve in your industry.
Every physical therapy clinic operates differently, and so does yours. Please do your part in improving your clinic by following our tips on increasing physical therapy patient retention and suggestions from patients and staff members.
