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Peter
Drucker, a famous author on Management, has described the two basic
functions of any business: Marketing and Innovation. Both of these
require effective information.
Surveys (or Patient Information Gathering) are the means to this
knowledge for Healthcare Providers, and Surveys provide the ability
to discover information – discovering information you need
to know!
There is also a requirement to obtain
customer information to forecast the needs of customers in the future.
This is an elementary and foundational
task for any business. Having
customer feedback is vital for business success and innovation within
the organization.
Virtually every healthcare
practice has ‘leaks’ in it.
These leaks are what take place when new patients or existing patients
do not return for future care. You have effectively employed a Marketing
Plan to get them in the door; however, your inside polices and procedures
didn’t keep them around. This means you have to work hard
replacing leaky patients, just to maintain your current practice
levels! Meeting and exceeding
your patients’ goals and expectations will greatly reduce
the number of ‘leaks’ in your practice.
Winston Churchill marshaled the best talent.
Let’s look at it another way:
Let’s say your bottom lines grew by 20% last year, and you
provided service to a hundred or so new patients. But you also had
a 40% attrition (meaning that 40% of your patients did not return
for further care). These numbers work out to reflect that your existing
practice actually doubled in size, just not in productivity! And
what’s even worse, is that if you don’t continue to
work hard in finding new patients each month, your attrition rate
is going to shrink your practice (and certainly your productivity!)
in a very short period of time.
Think of the growth your practice
will realize
when you don’t lose so many existing patients.
To reduce the high
attrition rate, you’ve got to view your practice from your
patients’ perspective, and you must know what your patients
want from you and your services. You’ve got to get the right
information and act upon it to shore up those leaks! Gathering this
information effectively is what we do best!
There are many types of survey methods.
However, our research shows that surveying with specifically targeted
information, gathered by an outside agency (the honest broker) is
recognized throughout the Organizational Management community as
the most effective means to conduct a survey.
But there’s more
to it that this.
You want to Survey when you
realize ‘what your patients have to say’ is of vital
importance to your practice and future growth. Don’t forget
that where you are today is only a step on the path of where you
will be tomorrow!
Please see
‘Management Guidance Concerning/Validating Surveys’
We also know that you
Survey to discover specific information and answer specific questions.
The PSS Survey is thorough in understanding your needs and is tailored
to answer your toughest questions.
The following
is an Excerpt from our PSS Interview/Questionnaire you will
complete to assist us in creating your Practice Survey. It
is provided here as information for you to understand the
many areas you can cover with the PSS Survey:
“Section C
(Specific Goals for Conducting Your Survey)
Note: These goals will be
incorporated into your PSS Survey. If necessary, PSS will
contact you for clarification of your goals and objectives.
Select from the following
list, as many ‘Goals and Objectives’ as you have
regarding the ‘reasons you are conducting this survey’:
Make/Introduce Significant Change
in current practice
Specify the change(s):________________________________________
________________________________________
Identify levels of Patient Satisfaction
Learn Patient Expectations
Grow toward a 100% Referral Practice
Clearly identify reasons patients come in for care
Increase patient awareness of services for children
Increase patient awareness of services for infants
Increase patient awareness of services for pregnancy
Increase patient awareness of services for Auto Accidents
Increase patient awareness of services for Work Related
Injury
Increase patient awareness of financial plans for families
Increase patient awareness of auto debit program
Increase patient awareness of in house classes
Increase patient awareness of chiropractic education program
Increase patient awareness of health maintenance plans
Increase patient awareness of: _______________________________________
________________________________________
Learn patient opinion regarding thoroughness of Initial
Examination
Learn patient opinion regarding effectiveness of Report
of Findings
Learn patient opinion regarding Massage Therapist
Learn patient opinion regarding my CA (Front Office)
Learn patient opinion regarding my CA (Back Office)
Learn patient opinion regarding days/hours of availability
Learn patient opinion regarding my location
Learn patient opinion regarding my parking
Learn patient opinion regarding my cash fees
Learn patient opinion regarding my insurance fees
Learn patient opinion regarding my payment plans/options
Learn patient opinion regarding: _____________________________________
____________________________________
Learn patient concerns regarding my location and/or parking
Learn patient concerns regarding cleanliness of office,
tables, restrooms, etc.”
END EXCERPT |
Who
Should Survey?
Healthcare Providers,
unlike other salesmen, typically do not create the need for their
services. Healthcare Users
have a need for your services
and they are going to receive them from either you or someone else.
Also, the User is going to return for care (and refer others) to
the Healthcare Providers where they feel most comfortable and confident
in the services received. As a Healthcare Provider, you need to
know what are the expectations of your patients. The
PSS Survey Method gets that information – honestly and effectively.
We have customized our products and targeted our Practice Survey
to Professionals who have been in practice for a number of years
and have an established population of current and past patients.
Our New Patient Survey is for Healthcare Providers who have control
of New Patient procedures – regardless of years in practice.
Initially,
Patients came to you to receive a service.
They had specific concerns
and goals associated with their care. They, in fact, purchased
your service. The Question stands alone:
Were they satisfied with their
purchase? Did
you simply meet their requirements; or, did you fall short
of their expectations; or, was the service they received above
and beyond their expectations?
When you fall short of their expectations
– They’re not coming back!
When you simply meet their requirements – They will
most likely continue to see you.
When you exceed their expectations -
They will certainly return, and will refer others to you.
They are buying the ‘value’ of your services
more than they are buying your service.
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Surveying your patients discovers their
expectations. How can you meet (or exceed) your patients’
expectations if you don’t know what they are?
Many doctors believe
they know exactly what their patients want. These are the practices
with 100% annual growth with minimal (less than 5%) attrition or
leaks. If you have a practice in this category, we salute you!
However, realistically, most practices
have large leaks and work hard to get new patients.
And there are some who have to scramble for new patients to come
in the front door just to balance the numbers because there are
so many patients leaving thru the back door. Do you want to know
why are they leaving? Simply put,
their expectations were not met.
SO MANY
THINGS AFFECT YOUR PRACTICE!
Do you ever wonder
what happened to those hundreds of inactive patients? Do you believe
they are healthy and happy? Do you believe they are ready to return
to you as soon as they perceive their health (nervous system, dental,
or vision health) is poor? Are they capable of referring their family,
friends, neighbors, and co-workers? Do they know you accept work
related injuries? How about treating children, pregnant patients,
sports related injuries, auto accidents, and slip and falls? Or
do they know you offer cosmetic dental services, metallic filling
replacements for health, discounted family plans, vision therapy,
specialized eyewear, or perform or refer to a specialist for corrective
vision surgery?
And what about the core of your
practice? - Those active and
satisfied patients? Do they know they can see you for golfer’s
elbow, headaches, and even infant and childhood ear infections?
Do they know you have teeth whitening services? Do they know how
easy it is to get sports eyewear? Or, do they think you only provide
the specific service for which they came in to see you?
Are you thinking of change
within your practice? Maybe adding an Associate Doctor, changing
locations, adding a additional location, or changing hours, or are
you modifying your focus in a specialty within your profession?
Would you like to have inactive patients reactivate? Would you like
to have a stronger, much larger patient referral and awareness programs?
…Of course you would!
The PSS Survey Method will create a greater awareness in your patients
(not only those patients directly surveyed, but your entire practice!)
and, in turn, bring your practice to mind more frequently in their
daily lives. The PSS Survey Method is an effective way to do all
of this and more!
Why
Survey with PSS?
We have seen many surveys
and survey methods. They come in all types and styles – especially
those created by the Professional for their own practice.
The data and comments gathered are
seldom focused on the information needed to make any significant
decisions. Even worse, we’ve seen surveys sent to over 200
prospective participants, and less than 25 responses were received!
When generic response surveys
are conducted, a vaguely focused,
wishy-washy, and often slow-step or hesitant change takes place.
Then, unconfident in the results,
the doctor will try out a process or partially implement a change
in their practice. This effort is typically short sighted and is
either terminated or removes the focus from servicing the patients
in the practice. And, more often than not, causes awkward emotions
and actions within the staff. This in turn affects the procedures
you covet so highly (because they are the lifeline to servicing
your patients!).
Some professional service providers even attempt to conduct surveys
themselves. – This is the
most dangerous route! Not only are dozens of hours and hundreds
of dollars spent in the process, but unfortunately, the reliability
and the information gathered is poor and incomplete at best.
How much would you charge for 20
- 30 hours of your time? That’s the conservative estimate
in effort and the costs of printing, proofing, assembly, postage,
receiving, summarizing, and evaluating. Then, unfortunately, you
get information that doesn’t really give you enough confidence
to make ‘Practice Growth Decisions’. The result: you’ve
lost the time, energy, and finances which could have been spent
more effectively.
The PSS
Survey Method benefits your practice by:
(1) |
Acting
as an outside gathering agency. This presents
an honest broker for your patients to comment more openly
about issues or topics they may not present directly
to you. It also increases the level of confidence your
patients have in your desire to meet their healthcare
needs (now and in the future). When your patients see
that you have hired an outside agency to professionally
prepare and evaluate the survey, they give greater credibility
to the survey. |
(2) |
Removes
the emotion of results. It’s easy for a
professional service provider to overlook one or two
awkward comments, or to downplay the comments of an
angry experience. However, they are significant and
even more so when coming from a particular group of
patients! You’ll receive all comments from an
unbiased source and will be able to recognize, more
clearly, the meaning of those comments and how to benefit
from them. |
(3)
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Encourages
you to incorporate your staff at various opportunities.
Yes, your Chiropractic Assistants, Dental Assistants,
Vision Staff, Billing Specialist, Office Manager, massage
and support staff, and even your spouse needs to get
involved at some level. Their participation elevates
the effectiveness of the PSS Survey. They have an opportunity
for input, patient group assignment, and acceptance
of the survey results coming from a professional outside
agency. This enhances their ownership and desire to
participate in your practice! They are also more energized
and excited about changes you implement after you receive
the survey results. |
(4)
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Gets specific answers to
your most difficult questions. The custom made PSS Survey
addresses your questions – directly and indirectly.
The PSS Survey also incorporates questions to plant
reminders of your services. This allows the survey to
not only gather information but obtain indirect information
and responses as well. Then there are the obvious, big
questions too. Our PSS Survey Method entices the survey
participant to complete the entire survey and gets them
to respond to the important issues! |
(5)
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Gets
responses from patients in a variety of categories.
The PSS Survey Method is effective because it
gets responses from many patient categories (Best, Inactive,
PI/WC, and more). Our surveys are targeted by divided
percentages within each category of patients. This allows
information to be gathered and weighted appropriately.
We expect your favorite patients to say great things
about you, but what is the significance placed on comments
from the group of patients who have never referred a
new patient to you? The PSS Survey is specifically targeted
for best results. |
(6) |
Measures
the results. The PSS Survey is effective in gathering
information and data - which can be measured into effectiveness.
We know there’s more to it than answering ‘yes’
or ‘no’! The PSS Survey Method even weighs
the non-response rate as well. |
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How
to Benefit from a Survey
Find
out what your Patients think about general and specific
issues in your practice. |
Give
you a realistic level of confidence concerning customer
loyalty – long before you make changes to your
practice. |
Get
a strong sense of your customer needs |
Allow
you to communicate to your patients all of your services
(not just the one they came in for!). |
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Believe it or not,
if your patients sense a ‘better deal’, they are very
likely to check it out! Don’t believe the great theory that
‘Customer Loyalty’ can be had without taking any action
to keep those patients. You must know your patients’ expectations
and exceed them to maintain their trust in you and your services.
Also, remember that your
patients are not paying for your service per se, but rather they
are paying for the results of your service. This is known as ‘Value’.
The potential benefits from a survey
are tremendous! However,
they are drastically reduced if the survey is conducted poorly,
communicated incorrectly, or, worst of all, if there is no follow-on
activity. The PSS Survey results will provide information and recommended
activities to ensure your greatest success! We want you to have
a great response, get the information you desire, and implement
the changes your patients will appreciate!
We
want you to Grow
Beyond
your Goals!
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