Managing patient satisfaction against patient’s expectations is a challenge for every office. We all know too well the ongoing struggle of balancing the challenges surrounding giving each patient the best care, which is what every practitioner strives for. Or at least, should strive for. That is particularly due to the heightened expectations as patient’s have the ability to scrutinize every diagnoses, or lack thereof, which is many times based on Dr. Google. They begin to lack trust in their doctors or that they will find practices that actually care. We have seen research suggesting that upwards of 85% of patients have some complaint about the care they’ve been given, the time it takes to be seen by the doctor, or about the costs associated with the care. We’ve also seen surveys that show frustration around not being remembered by the doctor or leaving an appointment without some kind of follow up plan.

Improving the patient experience and managing expectations will inevitably continue to be a challenge for most medical practices. However, there are ways to keep up with the changing landscape by taking each complaint and looking for solutions. One way that we have significantly groomed our practice is by implementing an Electronic Health Record and Practice Management. Specifically, we chose iTRUST Cloud EHR and Practice Management because it is a simple platform that incorporates easy resolutions to so many of these little annoyances. What we were also genuinely surprised to find that it wasn’t just the patients that seemed more satisfied, our staff was happier because some of their daily tasks became automated, we were increasing our office efficiency, and they felt more organized.   

We’ve found that patients prefer the ability to have two-way text communication. iTRUST includes a HIPAA secure communication platform that allows you to send text messages directly through the system, on any computer, tablet, or other web-enabled device. This allows for quick and easy responses to your patient’s question or scheduling request in a matter of seconds. 

The recall feature is also sent through the system via text and/or email. It makes scheduling yearly follow ups a breeze. Many patients ask for the reminder, so we ask which method they prefer – text, email, or phone – and then we contact them that way. We like to get patients on the schedule a year in advance and set our system settings so that it sends the first reminder a month before their exam. This gives them a chance to reschedule as needed and still keep the schedule flow workable. For our practice, it has proven to enhance patient retention and lessen missed appointments, which has ultimately resulted in increased profitibailty. 

One of the best compliments we’ve received from one of our patients came as she was scrolling through her new prescription on her cell phone. She said, “you know, this was the easiest doctor visit I’ve ever had!”. This patient went on saying that the check in process was seamless, as she was able to complete it ahead of timing. She was amazed that she was seen by our doctor within five minutes of the appointment time. She was grateful to have access to her prescriptions and referrals anytime, instead of having it held hostage until other offices thumbed through aisles of charts to find hers, scan it in, then eventually send it to her. Best of all, she couldn’t believe it when the doctor asked about her upcoming wedding, as he had made notes during her last visit of her recent engagement in the inter-office notes box in that patient’s chart.

We attribute these compliments to iTRUST which has given us the tools for better relationships within our office staff and with our patient base. We have re-shaped the traditional doctor’s appointment model with a more modern and integrated method that includes better communication. Overall, implementing this system has been a huge factor in our recent successes; and one of our greatest successes is happier, more satisfied, patients. 
Dr. Adam Stelzer