The Optometric Minute

3 Doctors Share How They Enhance the Patient Experience

May 2, 2018

Laurie Sorrenson, OD, FAAO, and Ryan Powell, OD, believe you must create a wow experience for the patient, which you can measure, and reinforce with staff training. Employees at their practices are taught to greet each patient in a friendly manner, providing accommodating care. That wow experience becomes even better when it is personalized, notes Mary E. Boname, OD, MS, FAAO. In-depth conversations with patients in the exam room about lifestyle, and personal preferences for eyewear, pay off both in providing superior care, and in capturing sales in your optical.

Create a Positive Patient Experience & Measure
Mastering the Personalized Treatment Plan

USE NET PROMOTER SCORE. Measure how many “promoters” of your practice you have compared to detractors. Click HERE to learn how to do this.

MEASURE CASE BY CASE. Look at the experiences patients have in each area of the practice, and assess how well each step of the patient experience works.

STRIVE FOR 100%. Make it a goal for the patient to have a nearly perfect experience 100 percent of the time knowing you will probably fall short, but still trying. That means short wait times and friendly, attentive staff from greeting to check-out and goodbye.

VALUE FRONT DESK EMPLOYEE. Choose your front desk employee and/or receptionist carefully, and pay competitively to retain. They are the first impression of your practice that patients will have, and sometimes the last person the patients see when they leave.

 

TAKE THOROUGH HISTORY. Ask patients not just about their eye and health history, but about the activities and work-related vision needs they may have.

GET TO KNOW PATIENTS. Spend at least five minutes just getting to know patients, asking about their families and what’s most important to them in life.

ASK WHY THEY SWITCHED DOCTORS. If it’s a new patient, ask why they decided to try a new eye doctor. Keep the conversation positive, and focused on what you can do to help them achieve their eye health and comfort and vision goals.

 

 

 

Laurie Sorrenson, OD, FAAO, is president of Lakeline Vision Source in Cedar Park, Texas. To contact her: lsorrenson@gmail.com.

Ryan Powell, OD, owns Insight Eyecare Specialties, with eight locations in the Kansas City, Mo., metro area. To contact him: drpowell@ieseyecare.com

Mary E. Boname, OD, MS, FAAO, owns Montgomery Eyecare in Skillman, N.J. To contact her: mboname@mecnj.com

To Top
Subscribe Today for Free...
And join more than 35,000 optometric colleagues who have made Review of Optometric Business their daily business advisor.