Customer Service in healthcare: Patience Stretched in Waiting Rooms

Thanks to Twitter friend @SeerGenius, a passionate advocate for the patient perspective, for this piece, which showed up in Dear Abby of all places.

A physician writes about Abby’s ongoing discussion with patients about their frustration with endless waiting. He explains what life is like in a doctor’s office and concludes:

It does help to focus on good manners and empathy, and to alert patients at the time of check-in if there’s a problem, which allows them to return or reschedule. Of course, the physician conveying personally to his patients that their time is as important as his also goes a long way. — MARC SCHNEIDERMAN, M.D., PENNSYLVANIA

This resonates with my recent post about an x-ray appointment. To my great pleasure, that clinic contacted me and let me know about some changes they’d already made in response to my post.

How great is it that people are waking up to customer service – and the customer’s experience – in healthcare?

More on the clinic’s response later this week. It was exemplary.

Posted by cterry