7 Best practices for improving customer experience in healthcare

Healthcare is one of the most complex industries in the world. The field of medicine is constantly evolving, and with it come new technologies, procedures and treatments for patients. As a result, healthcare providers have to face new challenges every day when it comes to providing their patients with quality care. 

Customer experience is an integral part of any organization's brand. And because healthcare is such a personal business, it's important to be sure that your organization delivers on its promise of providing compassionate care and excellent service to all its customers. 

Outlines below are seven best practices that can help improve customer service/experience in healthcare. 

       1. Train your employees

Training your employees to be more effective, efficient and empathetic is an important part of improving the customer experience, especially in the healthcare industry.

• Teach employees how to use your service more effectively by providing training on the best way to complete a task. For example, if you are a hospital, training employees on how to schedule appointments so that they’re available for patients would improve the overall experience for both patients and staff.
• Train your staff in empathy and compassion so they can better understand what their customers are going through and how best to provide them with excellent customer service. It’s not uncommon for patients to feel anxious about their health or recovery time frame—especially if this is their first time going through a medical procedure. It's important that medical professionals have these skills as they're dealing with people who may be feeling vulnerable or scared during such stressful times in their lives.
  

   

  2. Upgrade your digital experience

Your digital experience is the first interaction between you and your customer. The good news is that there are plenty of ways to improve this experience—especially if you’re already making an effort to become easily accessible to your customers. It all starts with optimizing your mobile app and website for speed and accessibility, then adding in a few extra features that will set your business apart from the competition.

Good mobile apps are crucial if you want to keep up with current trends—and today's consumers have high expectations for everything from delivery times to functionality when it comes to receiving information digitally. They expect their preferred organizations' websites and apps to not only look great but also provide them with fast access to relevant information. The easier it is for them to get what they need, the better chance they'll prefer your services and recommend you to the people they know. 

         3. Convenient Service 

When it comes to convenience, customers/patients want the same experience across channels. For example, if you have an online booking option and a 24/7 customer service line, make sure that your customers know about both of those options at every touchpoint with your business. This can be as simple as including links in emails or providing these options on your website’s homepage and call center pages.

Make sure that there is an easy way for customers to reach out if they need help with their appointment reminders or prescription refills, whether it's through email, phone calls or text messages, so they don't end up missing important dates because of confusion over how to get in touch with customer service representatives. A great way to do this is by providing an online patient portal so they can manage their care their own way. 

       4. Personalize your customer experience 

At the heart of any successful customer experience strategy is the desire to create moments that help put your customers at ease or delight them. Whether you're an early-stage startup or a well-established healthcare brand, there are many ways to make your customer’s day by going above and beyond their expectations.

One way you can personalize the customer experience is by creating a personalized account for each user. If you have a high volume of users, this may not be feasible, so simply use data from previous interactions with them (such as their order history) to inform their next interaction with your business. This might include sending them recommendations based on previous purchases or offering exclusive deals based on location or time of year when they visit your website/app again next time; however do whatever works best for what kind of business model you have. 

         5. Improve the complaint resolution process

There are several ways to improve complaint resolution. The first is to make sure you have a clear and effective process in place. You should be tracking the number of complaints received, how long it takes your team to resolve them, and which areas of your service are causing the most issues for customers.

Once you have this data in hand, use it to identify places where improvement can be made. For example: maybe one area is consistently taking longer than others; or perhaps some customers aren't satisfied with the speed at which their issue was resolved; or maybe there's no clear process for dealing with certain types of complaints at all (e.g., billing errors). Then take those learnings back out into the world - share them with staff members so they know what needs fixing; work on improving customer satisfaction by addressing these issues head-on through employee training programs; and reward employees who do well at resolving customer concerns (this will help encourage more people within your organization take ownership over their tasks).

          6. Telemedicine 

Another great way to improve customer experience is through Telemedicine. Telemedicine is a very popular option in healthcare today, and it offers many benefits to the patient. It can be used to connect patients with doctors at a distance, allowing them to consult or get treatment from physicians in remote locations. Telemedicine is also used for remote procedures and tests, as well as monitoring and education.

One of the great things about telemedicine is that it allows you to see specialists whenever you need them without having to leave your home. This means that your patients don't have to take off work or find childcare so that they can see a doctor, who may live far away from them or maybe in a different city altogether. 

           7. Be human 

In an era when customer service is a key differentiator, healthcare organizations have to be prepared to deal with the growing expectations of their customers/patients. It’s important for organizations to understand what it means to be human and connect with customers in a way that makes them feel understood, accepted and supported. This will go a long way toward improving customer satisfaction and being seen as a trusted partner in their care journey.

Being human means showing empathy; being patient, listening and understanding; being honest and transparent; accepting people regardless of differences; forgiving mistakes easily without holding grudges against anyone. 

As a healthcare provider, it’s not just about the quality of care you offer. You also need to provide a great customer experience for your patients and their loved ones. The best way to do this is by offering them convenience, speed, personalization through technology and by being human.

Conclusion 

Customer Experience is one of the most important factors in the success of a business. It’s not just about being there when people need you and helping them solve their problems—it’s also about making them feel like they are an integral part of your company, and that they matter just as much as anyone else who comes through your doors. In healthcare, this means providing convenient services with personalized care. It can be difficult to do all of these things at once but if you stay focused on improving customer experience by using technology, convenience and personalization then customers will notice how much better your business has become over time.