PROFESSIONALISM, LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION TONES: STRONG VARIABLES FOR MARKETING AND PATIENT RETENTION

While there are many aspects to what constitutes quality healthcare, and need I say I have written on a lot of them, effective communication is the icing that makes all the difference. It is equally a tool that can sell your hospital brand and keep patients returning to your medical outfit again and again.

The need for hospital staff to display professionalism and use the right language and communication tone at all times cannot be over emphasized as these are very crucial in the branding of your hospital. Brand is perception and perception can be engineered by professionalism, language and communication tone.

I have noticed over the years from personal experience how some hospital staff turn the hospital and their offices/departments into a comedy ground or circus of some sort, dressing very 'badly' to the office even as doctors (clinicians) and support service staff, gossiping everyone and anyone who is anything and not much in the hospital including the patients.

The truth is, while people might find some of the things they do during work to be hilarious, of no much consequence to the hospital brand (and indeed, there is organically nothing wrong with being cheerful, jovial, jocular, simplistic in dressing and even chatty), it is important to note that it ultimately reduces the trust and seriousness patients have of the services and people that deliver those services.

It could even colour their perception of your ability to deliver efficient medical services. (Healthcare business is not comedy business (even comedy is packaged better these days.) If you are unable to gain the trust of your patients in your services, how will they recommend your facility to their friends and families?

Patients who trust their physicians are more likely to reveal more private conditions that might be critical to their treatments or treatment outcomes, follow through with medications, and easily return for follow-up than those who do not. Professionalism at the workplace increases the patient retention rate of your hospital.?

The advantages of hospital staff remaining professional and using the right language and communication tone are vast and the need for those cannot be over emphasised. Client satisfaction and confidence in your treatment plans, personnel and even eventual medical bill is a function of how professionally the processes and people involved in the care communicated and acted with them and around them. Notice I did not say 'to' but 'with' and 'around' them.?

How the communication around what would be done for them in the consulting rooms by the doctors, how to take their prescriptions from the pharmacists in the prescription dispensary, communication by nurses in the vital signs collection room, and so on, are strong variables for patient retention. People assume this to be too insignificant a lot of times, but as 'insignificant' as it might seem to some, it is as important to patient perception of the hospital and their retention rate, as what the side mirrors are to a moving car.

There is a difference between satisfying patients based on efforts at implementing the laid down medical procedures, SOPs or protocols and patients themselves believing they have been truly satisfied. Patient satisfaction is derivable when there is an alignment between patients’ perspective on what constitutes satisfaction in healthcare and the provider's view (Fox & Storms,1981).

This means that your staff's show of unprofessionalism and use of disrespectful or inappropriate language will still mean dissatisfaction (with the care provided) to the patient despite having been properly treated. Such patient will still hesitate to return to such a hospital, and be very unlikely to refer others in his circle.?

Having established the importance? of professionalism, including the use of proper dressing, the right language and tone in the hospital, hospital business owners (or administrators) must ensure that their staff are encouraged to follow through on established protocols for engendering professionalism.

One good way would be by having a sound and motivating work culture - one that supports and makes every member of staff (not just a few employees but almost all) feel like a part of the company. Overworked and underpaid staff are the hardest to groom; avoid what could make for this because it is a killer of professionalism.?

Considering the magnitude of impact the display of professionalism or unprofessionalism can have on your hospital's brand and patient retention, it is pertinent to take appropriate steps as a hospital manager or owner to boost staff morale in a positive direction. This will keep their display of professionalism in the discharge of their duties and in patient relations at the highest level possible.?

The prevailing condition of the work environment affects and moulds your staff's level of professionalism or otherwise. How they dress (dress culture that is enforced and not merely existing as a policy) also influences professionalism as stated above. Generally, cultures that engender professionalism should be designed into the policy/handbook for all staff, then monitored and enforced by HR and the D.C. (Disciplinary Committee).

For professionalism at the workplace to become next to reflex and dominant culture of the organisation, strict respect of the organogram and reporting/line authorities of the hospital by ALL should be vehemently canvassed by senior?management. No defaulters must be spared. Because people who form the core workforce of any system come from different backgrounds with tendencies to slide back into what is? 'nature'? to them (normal habits) from time to time, the instrument of 'nurture' which is the continuous training and development of these staff is indispensable.

Designating one staffer as the professionalism marshal who should be sent on courses around workplace ethics and etiquette, emotional and social intelligence, etc.,who would in turn train the entire staff from time to time in the hospital should be religiously encouraged by management.

Professionalism is an omnibus word or concept that can mean many things to different people depending on the organisation and industry. Therefore, define yours and what it should mean from the start to ALL workers.

?PS: Need help on ways to keep your staff at their best, talk to Andy of Genuine Essence Management Services Limited (GEMSL) – a healthcare business consultant/consultancy that has helped dozens of hospitals 10x their growth rate and staff productivity. Click Here to Book A Free Call - andyakpotive.com