When searching for common health services such as counseling or family medicine, patients have access to a variety of different providers. For this reason, it is the task of each healthcare facility to promote positive outcomes and maintain retention. Unfortunately, not all providers prioritize these elements of patient care. As a result, patients often seek out the services of other healthcare facilities.
Depending on the area of service, patients hold different expectations for different medical centers. At MyOutcomes, we specialize in mental health services, where we see the many nuances of patient-therapist interactions. There are however, a few key factors that have proven to increase retention and improve patient outcomes across all health sectors.
Are you looking for a way that your team of healthcare professionals can optimize the patient experience? Below we have listed a few ways that you can ensure the best possible outcomes, along with a high rate of retention.
Maintain an open dialogue with patients
Far too often, practitioners are caught by surprise when their patients decide to move to another practice. Patients and healthcare workers should always maintain an open line of communication that encourages honest assessments of the services provided. In the case of talk therapy, the counselor should allocate a small amount of time during sessions to speak to the patient about the success of their sessions thus far and what they could do to improve them. Providers should also speak to patients about their health conditions in plain terms so that they understand the information being given to them and feel comfortable enough to ask questions.
Build a diverse team of healthcare professionals
In most medical settings, patients greatly benefit from having access to a group of healthcare workers that come from a variety of different professional and educational backgrounds. In therapy, this is especially important due to the individualized nature of the service. Mental health clinics often benefit from hiring trained therapists with specializations in a variety of different areas such as grief, divorce, mood disorders, and others. Other medical clinics may offer services from general practitioners, nurses, lab technicians, and more. The key is to diversify your team as much as possible so that patients can explore various services before making the decision to leave the practice altogether.
Gather feedback from patients
If you are wondering how to improve patient outcomes, your best source of information is the patients themselves. Every healthcare facility should have a system in place whereby feedback is collected and analyzed. Unfortunately, many providers fail to keep information organized or implement changes based on these reports. At MyOutcomes, our goal is to guide healthcare providers towards the right survey questions, and facilitate information gathering in a results-driven way. Clinicians are empowered by in-depth survey analyses that combine algorithm-based technology with the personal experiences of each patient. Practitioners are then able to see which factors contribute to patient retention and result in the best outcomes.
Further your training
No matter what type of technology you have access to, it is always important to create a culture where your team actively gathers feedback from patients and takes it into account during appointments. The best way to do this is by staying informed on the most effective approaches to take when interacting with patients. At MyOutcomes, we have made it possible for practitioners to improve their skills and understand the value of patient retention with top-rated programs such as our FIT eLearning and FIT Deliberate Practice courses.
If you would like more information on how to improve patient outcomes and retention, explore our scientifically-backed products and services. Contact us today to book a consultation.