Any successful DC knows the secret to running a thriving practice involves having patients who return time and time again for your health-related services. But how do you get them to want to continue to walk in your door? You keep them satisfied.
Sadly, this is sometimes harder than DCs anticipate, which means struggling to keep the doors open, even if you are a master in your field. So, what can you do to make your patients want to keep you as their primary health provider?
The answer is simple: avoid the three main reasons patients leave their chiropractor in the first place...
Reason #1: Issues With Billing
Ever received a bill that had an error or was much larger than you expected? It didn't sit well, right? That's the same way your patients feel if you send them a statement that is incorrect or higher than they anticipated – an issue that can easily occur if you increase fees without notifying them in advance or raise your charges in surprisingly large increments. Situations like these can not only anger your patients, but also erode their trust in you.
Another billing issue which can drive patients away is making promises that you don't keep. An example is any "bait and switch" scheme in which you get them in the door by saying or promising one thing, but deliver something else due to either disqualification or "fine print." Usually this involves additional costs they weren't expecting. Again, this increases patients' level of mistrust in you, making them not want to come back.
Issues with billing that are strong enough to make a patient leave without so much as a goodbye also include having limited payment options. If you don't accept the patient's insurance, don't allow them to make payment arrangements or don't have the necessary payment forms, it's harder for them to afford your services. And if they can't afford your services, they most likely won't return.
Reason #2: Issues With Scheduling
As busy as most people are nowadays, time is a commodity. Therefore, the more you infringe on their time via a missed scheduled appointment, last-minute schedule change or overbooking, the more likely they'll find another chiropractic provider.
Being inflexible with your office hours and not offering emergency treatment sessions can negatively impact your patient retention levels as well, as can a lack of follow-up. Not calling patients back if they've cancelled, are no-shows or left a message requesting some other information or service shows you don't have their best interest at heart or simply don't care. Neither is appealing to a patient who craves a doctor-patient relationship in which they feel valued and respected.
Reason #3: Issues With Service
Provide a poor service-related experience with your office and patients will likely walk out, never to return. This generally happens in three different ways:
Poor communication. By being unclear with your expectations, failing to fully answer their questions, or not meeting their follow-up needs, you'll likely be seen as uncaring and incompetent. Who wants that when dealing with a medical professional?
Not offering the courtesy of convenience. This may involve setting your practice up in a location that is difficult to get to or hard to find, or having inadequate parking or parking. While this one factor may seem minimal, convenience has been called "a key driver in loyalty,"2 making it a point worth considering.
Offering ineffective treatments. This can include making them feel worse than when they walked in, not offering individualized treatment plans, or providing only temporary results.
Limit problems related to these three issues – billing, scheduling and service – and your patients will be glad to return. Who knows? They may even come back with their family and friends, making it a happy reunion.
References
- Prakash B. Patient satisfaction. J Cutaneous & Aesthetic Surg, 2010 Sep-Dec;3(3):151-55.
- Walters J. "Customers Want Convenience on Their Terms, Not Yours." 360 Connext.
Dr. James Pamplin is a practicing DC in Plymouth, N.H., and the developer of Wonderdoc Chiropractic EHR. Contact him via his website, www.wonderdoc.com.