High-quality patient care is essential for any private practice. There are many elements that go into patient care, from the moment they step through the door and are greeted at reception to the point of treatment.
There plenty of ways that any diligent practice can promote the best in patient care. Here are a few of the best ways that you can implement to improve your practice’s patient care.
Ensure A Positive And Supportive Work Environment
For patient care to be at its very best, you will need to ensure that your team work well together and that your practice has a supportive work environment. Ultimately the standard of patient care comes down to the people they interact with at your practice, so there is a clear need to focus on your team.
A bad work environment can lead to dissatisfaction and burnout, which can cause a drop in the quality of patient care. You could consider combating this by ensuring that your team has a good work-life balance, that they don’t overwork themselves and feel comfortable coming to upper management when they need help. Flexible working options can help to ensure that staff are happy and well-rested. It would help if you regularly review your staff numbers to ensure that they are sufficient and that your team is not overworked.
You could also consider a focus on mental health and promoting wellbeing. The medical field can be challenging and stressful to work in, with many potential hazards, both physically and mentally. Ensuring that your team knows how and where to seek advice and help, if needed, is crucial.
Open, Honest Dialogue With Patients
One of the most common complaints of patients related to their medical care is a lack of or poor communication from their doctor or medical team. It would be best if you did what you can to ensure that your practice engages with patients and has open, honest discussions with them about their concerns, health and treatment options.
Patients want to feel heard, particularly when they come to their healthcare practitioner about a specific concern. You should ensure that your appointments are set so that each patient has ample time to ask questions and fully understand the information they are given.
It could also help to ensure that everyone at your practice has a good bedside manner. You could consider enrolling staff on training to ensure that your team know how best to communicate with patients effectively.
Encourage Second Opinions
You could consider encouraging patients to seek second opinions, especially when they receive a serious diagnosis. Encouraging second opinions can be a great way to foster trust and show patients that their health and care comes first in the eyes of your practice. Many doctors consider second opinions beneficial, as a fresh set of eyes can have new insights.
You could consider having a list of doctors and facilities that your patients could turn to for a second opinion and even assist them with arranging an appointment.
Be Vigilant With Medications
Being cautious with the medications prescribed in your practice is crucial. Some practices have a tendency towards overprescribing, which can be, at best, a waste of patient’s money and, at worse, harmful. You should ensure that your practice has a clear policy towards prescribing drugs and that your team knows that they should only recommend medications after careful thought and consideration.
It is also worth doing thorough research into the drugs you are considering recommending to patients, whether they are prescription or over the counter. Doing your due diligence in this regard can help to prevent more significant issues further down the line and ensure patient care is at the highest possible standard.
An excellent example of why this is crucial is the Zantac recall currently occurring. This common heartburn drug has been found to have dramatically high levels of a cancer-causing chemical contained in it, raising serious issues with its continued use. If you know any patients who are taking this medication, you could consider putting them in touch with reputable drug injury lawyers such as Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC.
Consult With Your Colleagues
Collaboration is key to running a smooth and successful practice. You should ensure that your team have ample opportunity to discuss treatment options and cases among themselves. This can help to ensure that nothing is missed and encourage more significant innovation in creating treatment plans.
It could help to have regular meetings where particularly challenging or complicated cases are discussed. This can give your medical team a chance to bound ideas and show that it is okay – encouraged even – to ask for help from their colleagues.
Make Your Practice A Welcoming Place To Be
Coming to the doctor can be a nerve-wracking time for many patients. Worries about procedures, treatments and diagnoses are common. Doing what you can to ensure that your practice and staff are welcoming can do a lot to help alleviate patient stress.
Your practice should be clean and tidy, and where possible, you could try to make the décor comfortable and relaxing. Good quality chairs for the waiting rooms could be an excellent investment, and adding some plants and artwork can help make your practice seem homier and less clinical.
Customer service can be a crucial part of the customer experience, so you should ensure that your staff are competent with excellent customer service skills, whether they are porters, administrative staff or doctors.
Conclusion
There are many ways that you can ensure excellent patient care standards in your practice. One of the most important things to remember is that your practice should excel in patient care rather than meet a bare minimum. Investing wisely in your people and general practice can ensure that your practice has the best possible patient care and experience.
Communication is crucial for good patient care, whether between patients and medical staff or between colleagues. This is one area that can benefit from continuous investment and work and can have the best results for patient care.
