Retention in Healthcare
2 MIN. READ
Health care continues to move forward as a value-based industry with key standards regarding patients. On top of reimbursements from Medicaid and other entities explicitly tied to patient satisfaction, patients are customers and have the option to move providers if they are unhappy.
Patient retention becomes a driving goal for strategic operations within a health care organization.
Many hospitals, clinics, and physicians do not have the administrative staff available to give callers adequate time and attention.
However, a well-run health care call center can provide stellar customer service to your patients while helping with patient retention. Having health care call center support can make a huge difference in staff availability, increase patient satisfaction and drive patient loyalty and revenue through patient retention.
Call centers as transformation sites
In the era of driving strategic efficiencies, contact centers are expected to play a more pivotal role in health care organizations. No longer are call centers a switchboard that answers the calls to transfer them to the appropriate departments; instead, they are expected to handle varying levels and degrees of patient calls.
In a survey of 400 organizations, 48 percent of those with a call center strategy stated their contact center is key to enterprise-wide transformation. The organizations who view their call centers as key to transformation understand how a strategic contact center where any question from a patient is handled the first time is a benefit.
Administrative and clinic staff are freed to take care of in-person patients and patients can receive satisfactory care through the phone.
Training and patient retention
Well-trained agents are key to patient retention, as customers become frustrated by not receiving answers they seek or by having to endure long hold times. Investment in training agents to understand and engage patients while being empathetic is a necessary aspect of health care contact centers.
Agents need to understand if a patient requires care immediately or if scheduling can occur based on clinical availability. Also, the ability to advise in situations with potentially fatal results is essential for patient satisfaction.
A well-run call center will train agents to utilize technology to maximize patient satisfaction while communicating with the clinic seamlessly.
Patient retention is driven by experience
While many health care organizations and practitioners focus on what they offer as a clinic, taking a view from the customers perspective is a guaranteed way to ensure patient retention. Patients want access to health care they can understand, as well as engagement with people who can walk them through concerning aspects of their health with sympathy and empathy.
Providing strong engagement while boosting access begins with the phone. Relying on trained, educated call center agents to relieve your administrative and clinical staff while increasing patient satisfaction will enhance patient retention and revenue.
Similarly, patient outreach by way of a strong contact center will make your patients feel cared for and important. A strong call center is a winning strategy.
We can help you set up a well-run health care call center with trained agents who can provide the best assistance to your patients. Call us today to increase your patient retention while relieving stress on your administrative and clinic staff.