The American Medical Association says the following 10 questions can help physicians, practice staff and other medical group administrators assess and improve patient experience at their practices.
1. Do you offer convenient hours, such as before and after business hours? Patients who cannot easily take time off of work will appreciate the flexibility of alternate appointment hours.
2. Do you offer same-day appointments? Open-access scheduling is patient-friendly, as it allows patients to schedule appointments without waiting for several days or weeks to see their physician. Physicians might book 35 percent of their schedule and leave 65 percent of it open for same-day appointments.
3. Is there a physician on call who is readily available after hours for patients' urgent concerns? If there is not a physician on call to speak with patients after the practice or office is closed, practices may want to partner with other physicians in the community to offer extended coverage.
4. When patients call your practice, can they speak directly with a nurse or physician? Will a provider promptly return their phone calls? If this is a problem, physicians or nurses may want to set aside a certain amount of time during the day to return phone calls in a timely manner.
5. Do you offer to call or send prescriptions directly to the pharmacy so patients can pick them up without a wait? Calling, faxing or sending prescriptions to the pharmacy electronically will save patients time, especially when they do not feel well.
6. Do you accept credit cards, debit cards and automated clearinghouse debits? Offering a selection of payment methods makes it more likely that patients will pay their balance and appreciate the convenience.
7. Do you offer online medical consultations or e-visits? These web-based visits take place through secure email and allow patients to present non-urgent clinical questions about medication, treatment and diagnostic alternatives, or request non-urgent medical consultations from physicians. Health insurers are increasingly reimbursing physicians for e-visits, according to the AMA.
8. Do you offer education to help patients understand their bills? As more payors and employers shift more responsibility for healthcare cost and payment to patients, it's beneficial if practice staff enhances patient education about their billing and payment policies.
9. Does your practice have a website? Does it offer online appointment scheduling, convenient access to patient registration and other patient forms? By offering necessary patient registration forms online, patients can fill out their information ahead of time and eliminate the need to show up 15 minutes before their appointment. Practices will also have decreased administrative burdens, as staff will not have to obtain and enter this information at the time of the visit.
10. Do you survey patients to assess how well your practice is meeting their needs? Physicians and practice staff can identify bottlenecks in patient flow by asking about wait times as well as other issues associated with practice comfort and appearance, provider-patient interactions and interactions with front office staff.
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1. Do you offer convenient hours, such as before and after business hours? Patients who cannot easily take time off of work will appreciate the flexibility of alternate appointment hours.
2. Do you offer same-day appointments? Open-access scheduling is patient-friendly, as it allows patients to schedule appointments without waiting for several days or weeks to see their physician. Physicians might book 35 percent of their schedule and leave 65 percent of it open for same-day appointments.
3. Is there a physician on call who is readily available after hours for patients' urgent concerns? If there is not a physician on call to speak with patients after the practice or office is closed, practices may want to partner with other physicians in the community to offer extended coverage.
4. When patients call your practice, can they speak directly with a nurse or physician? Will a provider promptly return their phone calls? If this is a problem, physicians or nurses may want to set aside a certain amount of time during the day to return phone calls in a timely manner.
5. Do you offer to call or send prescriptions directly to the pharmacy so patients can pick them up without a wait? Calling, faxing or sending prescriptions to the pharmacy electronically will save patients time, especially when they do not feel well.
6. Do you accept credit cards, debit cards and automated clearinghouse debits? Offering a selection of payment methods makes it more likely that patients will pay their balance and appreciate the convenience.
7. Do you offer online medical consultations or e-visits? These web-based visits take place through secure email and allow patients to present non-urgent clinical questions about medication, treatment and diagnostic alternatives, or request non-urgent medical consultations from physicians. Health insurers are increasingly reimbursing physicians for e-visits, according to the AMA.
8. Do you offer education to help patients understand their bills? As more payors and employers shift more responsibility for healthcare cost and payment to patients, it's beneficial if practice staff enhances patient education about their billing and payment policies.
9. Does your practice have a website? Does it offer online appointment scheduling, convenient access to patient registration and other patient forms? By offering necessary patient registration forms online, patients can fill out their information ahead of time and eliminate the need to show up 15 minutes before their appointment. Practices will also have decreased administrative burdens, as staff will not have to obtain and enter this information at the time of the visit.
10. Do you survey patients to assess how well your practice is meeting their needs? Physicians and practice staff can identify bottlenecks in patient flow by asking about wait times as well as other issues associated with practice comfort and appearance, provider-patient interactions and interactions with front office staff.
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