First Impressions in Healthcare: 3 Critical Moments to Consider

Forming positive first impressions in healthcare starts before your patient’s appointment even begins.

Here are three critical moments to consider:

Choosing the Facility – Online Presence

Before a patient decides to utilize your services, he/she may seek information about your organization online. Patients visit your website, check out your Facebook page or other social media accounts, and read online reviews about your facility and clinicians. Is your website easy to use and up to date? How does it compare to your competition’s? Are you leveraging the power of social media in healthcare and monitoring online reviews related to your facility?

Creating positive first impressions in healthcare begins with managing your online reputation.

Setting the Appointment – Over the Phone or Online

How complicated is it for a patient to set an appointment with your facility? When patients call, how long is it before they talk to a real, live human being (and is that person pleasant to speak with)? Negative first impressions in healthcare can easily form when patients become frustrated by rudeness, long holds, and uncertainty about how long they’ll be waiting on hold or for a call to be returned. Train your staff to practice strategic telephone etiquette that will boost efficiency and increase patient satisfaction.

You can further improve the patient experience by providing the option to set appointments online, through a patient portal or mobile app, for example. These resources (which are available 24/7, outside of normal calling hours) can make setting an appointment more convenient for some patients, they won’t have to worry about being placed on hold during busy calling times.

Arriving at the Facility – Be a Hospitable Hospital

When patients arrive at your facility for the first time, they should feel welcome. Create an inviting atmosphere that begins with the lobby, waiting room, and greeting.

The lobby and waiting area must look neat and professional. Guests feel welcomed when they can see that their hosts have taken great care to prepare for their visit by cleaning, organizing, and providing provisions just for them. Consider offering refreshments, like coffee and water, and stocking the waiting area with items to occupy your guests’ time (e.g. CURRENT issues of magazines, games, puzzles, and free Wi-Fi). Make their wait as comfortable as possible, which will greatly improve the patient experience.

Just as important to creating positive first impressions in healthcare is the greeting your guests receive as they enter your facility. Staff should exhibit a friendly, positive, calm attitude that sets the tone for the rest of the patient experience. A rude or visibly agitated greeter can completely negate your other efforts to create positive first impressions in healthcare.

First impressions in healthcare affect patients’ perceptions of the rest of their experience with your facility. When you improve the patient experience throughout these three critical moments that shape first impressions in healthcare, you will greatly increase patient satisfaction overall.