There are at least 30 ways to grow patient satisfaction at your healthcare facility, but 10 key service standards should do the trick. Joan Hablutzel, senior industry analyst with the Medical Group Management Association, told attendees at the MGMA 2014 annual conference Monday that increasing patient satisfaction was challenging, but necessary to the success of a medical practice in an increasingly competitive healthcare marketplace.
"Identify low patient satisfaction scores and work as a team to design, implement and maintain solutions," she said. "But focus on the patients, not the scores."
Setting standards for customer service is essential to improving patient satisfaction, Hablutzel noted. The standards may be simple, but can transform the way in which staff interact with patients, as well as boost patient perception of the practice. Hablutzel walked MGMA 2014 attendees through 30 steps to increasing patient satisfaction, but emphasized that there are actually 10 "top" standards on which practice staff should focus.