5 Ways to Increase Patient Repeat Visits

The success of medical facilities such as general clinics, rehabilitation clinics, and physiotherapist clinics relies greatly on their ability to increase repeat visits from patients. Clinic visits can frequently be associated with negative and painful experiences since patients usually arrive in pain and suffering from various health problems. According to studies, patients prefer to go to a clinician in whom they have trust and confidence. Behavioral studies indicate that a negative and repulsive clinical environment is the last thing that a patient would prefer when visiting a healthcare center.

There are several things that a clinic owner of any specialty can do to make the experience of the patients more comfortable while increasing repeat visits from patients. Here are some of the most effective strategies that clinic owners can adopt to increase repeat visits from patients.

Ensure that patients love your waiting room

The experience of most patients visiting a clinic starts with the waiting room, and many patients will spend most of their time in the waiting room. Despite this, many clinic owners undermine the importance of a comfortable, patient-friendly and aesthetic waiting room as the first impression a patient would receive upon visiting the clinic. Waiting is certainly not a fun thing to do. However, making the waiting room an amusing and pleasant environment for the patient can make a significant difference. It is the first chance to convey to the patients that this is the place where they will receive the utmost care. Some effective clinicians prefer making it a homely environment, while others would make a unique theme related to their specialty.

6 Steps To Improve The Waiting Room Experience Of Your Patients

Here are a few things to consider about the waiting room if it is to be an effective tool in your effort to increase repeat visits from patients.

• Don’t let your waiting room remind the patients that they are sick. Looking at graphic medical illustrations, incision instruments and sitting on uncomfortable plain chairs is probably the last thing they want to do.
• Don’t make them wait while waiting. By making the waiting activity more active, we can prevent the visitors from looking at the clock. Keeping the visitors engaged will make them perceive less waiting time. Installing an open Wi-Fi is important, but not the only thing you should do. Let the visitors leave with information that will practically help them improve their health, or simply let them have an enjoyable time by offering tablets loaded with games and interactive activities like readings. You can even install a little outlet for medicines and products they can buy related to their conditions.
• Upgrade your furniture to make it look less like an unexciting hospital. Whether you wish to make it a small restaurant themed interactive room, and a children friendly corner for keeping the kids engaged.
• Appoint a liaison who can greet the visitors when they come and carry out a friendly conversation to inquire about their condition and make the visitors feel that they are welcome.
• Offer little luxuries like taking a photograph of the patient in the treatment room for their Instagram can be inexpensive but very impactful.
• You should inform the patients of their approximate wait time.

Focus on referrals

Your referrals can be of great importance and focusing on them can turn the tables. By informing your customers that you will offer the referrals the same benefits and discounts that you offer to them, you are more likely to improve on your referrals and that can lead to a steady stream of repeat visitors.

Socialize with the patients in a friendly way

Socializing does not have to be lengthy and time-consuming. A friendly smile with a sentence or two of light humor can instantly change the serious experience the patient is experiencing and make them instantly like you. Human emotions are among the best ways to attract long-term professional relationships that will be a factor helping to increase repeat visits from patients.

Offer a relationship in following visits

Gifting the visitors with a little something on each visit can make them feel appreciated for their loyalty. Building relationships and rapport with the visitors can potentially make them and even their entire families lifetime customers for you.

Boost the patient’s compliance

One of the most important factors that will help to increase repeat visits from patients is if they are compliant with the treatment. If the patients are following the treatment plan with you, they are more likely to show up on the next appointment. Here are some of the ways you can boost the patients’ compliance.

• Listen to your patients carefully and effectively apart from asking them questions
• Be sensitive to cultural proclivities of the patients. You will surely receive patients from various cultures and backgrounds, and if you can relate with them on that level it will certainly help.
• Keep their treatment or exercise program fun.
• Schedule appointments for a couple of upcoming weeks.
• Receive multiple verbal commitments from the patient in a smart manner. You can ask the questions about whether they will comply with the treatment in the future in different ways to which they will answer yes, yes and yes. The more they commit to you verbally, the better our chances for revisiting.

Customer care and satisfaction

Last but not least, the patients are most important to you. Your entire clinic and your practice should be patient-centric and highly focused. Always make sure that your visitors leave your office completely satisfied and happy. Of course, there can be a few exceptions as all visitors are not the easy-going ones, and that is okay.

Conclusion

Although these suggestions are not very expensive, they do require some amount of effort for their implementation. However, their long term benefits in helping to increase repeat visits from patients will far exceed the effort they require.