Your medical website plays an important role in building your practice. It should attract patients and inspire their trust. It should encourage them Medical Marketing to contact your office to request an appointment, thereby increasing your case acceptance. And it should improve your practice’s overall level of patient satisfaction, which stimulates word-of-mouth referrals.
To be sure, patient satisfaction is heavily dependent Healthcare Website Design on each individual’s experience while visiting your office. The interaction a patient enjoys with your staff combined with their wait time and your staff’s follow-through influence that experience. Having said that, your medical website can help your practice meet and even exceed patients’ expectations. By implementing the following three guidelines, your site will not only increase case acceptance, but ensure patients return in the future.
#1 – Educate Patients About Specific Procedures
Even though people trust doctors with their lives, medical procedures can still seem intimidating. In fact, one of the reasons many patients are hesitant to set appointments is because they’re unfamiliar with a specific treatment path. Uncertainty discourages their taking action, often to the point of allowing existing conditions to worsen.
Your medical website can provide patients with in-depth information about the procedures your practice offers. By educating visitors, your site will give them a higher level of comfort. It will help them form reasonable expectations with regard to how you and your staff can help resolve their health problems. From minor surgical operations to various medications and tests, your medical website can eliminate patients’ confusion and soothe their fears. This level of education is a key element for increasing patient satisfaction.
#2 – Provide The Ability To Request Appointments
It’s not always easy for your patients to contact your office during normal working hours. Their days are often busy as they rush to fulfill their responsibilities. What’s more, during those rare instances in which they have a spare moment to call, they can’t afford to wait on hold.
As an alternative, give your patients the ability to request an appointment directly through your website. They’ll enjoy the convenience of being able to submit an appointment request when their schedule allows. Your office will receive the request instantly. Your staff can call the patient back to either confirm the date and time, or suggest another time. Not only will this increase patient satisfaction, but you’ll also be able to measure the effectiveness of your website in improving case acceptance.
#3 – Integrate Patient Satisfaction Surveys
Your patients can provide valuable insight into areas in which your practice can improve. For example, they may be pleased with your office’s short wait time, but dissatisfied with the interaction they experience with your staff. Encourage them to complete a patient satisfaction survey on your website. Doing so communicates that your office is striving to provide a better experience. It makes patients feel that their thoughts are valued and your staff is genuinely concerned about their level of satisfaction. That not only improves their loyalty to your practice, but it encourages them to refer others.