T he first time a patient informed me that I was less than perfect, I was sure he was mistaken. I’d always thought that my office was perfect since I designed it. It was a given that my taste in everything from artificial flowers to magazine subscriptions was impeccable. This changed the first time I conducted a patient survey. It amazed me to learn that my cosmetic patients liked different magazines than those I offered (who knew the Harvard Business Review wasn’t widely read?). They also didn’t like watching CNBC on the T.V. in the waiting room. However, rather than hide the remote control, I decided to use my patients’ suggestions to create a more enjoyable atmosphere. After all, I rationalized, they would only leave my practice for one that catered to their needs if I didn’t. Getting feedback from your patients is essential to the growth of any practice, and it should be something you do on a regular basis. Increasing numbers of cosmetic dermatologists are paying a lot to attain this type of information from consultants. Others are hiring publicists and marketing staff to the tune of more than $5,000 per month. The goal of these consultants is to increase cosmetic patient visits to the office and to gather important information about how patients perceive the doctors’ practice. A Less Pricey Alternative I have found that gathering this type of information from my patients has been priceless in improving my practice, but I didn’t need to pay an arm and a leg to attain this knowledge. For 6 years now, my practice has used a survey that I created, and we’ve gathered about 3,500 responses. The answers have been very helpful in improving patient care and in effectively differentiating my practice from my competitors’ practices. For example, years ago we found through a patient survey that many patients didn’t even know we offered a wide range of cosmetic procedures. Based on this information, we created in-office displays that inform our patients of the cosmetic services we provide, such as Botox and Restylane. Guidelines for Creating a Survey The survey I use isn’t long; patients can fill it out in a few minutes. Also, I only ask about 100 patients to fill out the survey at the beginning of every month. (I also try to get surveys to most of my cosmetic patients.) Generating feedback in this concentrated timeframe helps the staff stay focused on gathering this information and assessing it. Survey takers remain anonymous, and I include a self-addressed, stamped envelope for patients to conveniently return their answers. Because patients take the survey home and remain anonymous, I’ve found that there are many pieces of information that people will share in an anonymous format. Another important aspect of the survey is that we keep it fluid. We’ll modify survey questions when necessary so that they reflect various practice priorities. The questions also serve to introduce patients to new cosmetic procedures that my practice offers. Types of Questions to Ask Since my practice includes more than one physician, the first question we ask patients is which physician they saw. Follow-up questions focus on whether the physician spent enough time with the patient, explained the issues at hand, and discussed the procedure and any alternatives to it. With regard to procedures, one thing I learned from conducting patient surveys was that a competitor offered intraoral nerve blocks instead of the transcutaneous method I was using, and a patient noted that this was more comfortable. Just this one tidbit of information helped us change our method for the better, making my practice more competitive. Medical assistants are the topic of another survey question. Were they cordial and informative or distant and cold? Did the staff member identify herself and provide the patient with a business card for later questions? In my experience, these are the types of topics that physicians frequently avoid. In reality, these questions are almost as important to the success of a cosmetic practice as the skill of the physician. A patient’s first interaction with your office is usually via phone, and I like to gather information about this as well. Most cosmetic dermatologists like to know how their patients were treated on the phone or whether the receptionist discussed daycare with a co-worker while the patient was paying for his or her Botox treatment and attempting to schedule another appointment. We also ask patients how many times the phone rang before it was answered (more than four is too much and will foster the impression that your office is too busy or too preoccupied to take care of people). Placing people on hold is also a bad way of interacting with cosmetic patients — particularly in the age of walk-in Botox treatments that can be obtained at the local hair salon. To gauge whether we’re on the mark with making procedures as comfortable and successful as possible, we ask several questions. Questions related to alternative or additional treatments afford the opportunity to introduce patients to lasers, liposuction, Botox, Restylane and a host of other cosmetic treatments. Listening to Patients is Good Medicine and Good Business Cosmetic dermatologists are some of the most intelligent and well-skilled physicians I know. As a group, I’d say that we are also generally a successful bunch. But there’s always room for improvement. When I first implemented patient surveys, I had no idea what I’d learn, but I knew I needed to tap into my patients’ likes and dislikes to make my practice the best it could be. At first I needed to swallow some pride, but then I realized from these experiences that listening better to patients is not only good medicine, but good business as well. For the time investment of a few hours a month, you, too, are likely to uncover some practical, detailed information that you can use to better your practice. The best advice I can give you is to be open to the possibilities of what you might find — and don’t get too attached to that remote control in the waiting room. If you’d like to download the patient care survey designed by Dr. Beer and modify it for your own patients, you can get a copy by visiting Dr. Beer’s Web site at www.palmbeachcosmetic.com and clicking on “Patient Forms.”
What Are Your Patients Really Thinking?
T he first time a patient informed me that I was less than perfect, I was sure he was mistaken. I’d always thought that my office was perfect since I designed it. It was a given that my taste in everything from artificial flowers to magazine subscriptions was impeccable. This changed the first time I conducted a patient survey. It amazed me to learn that my cosmetic patients liked different magazines than those I offered (who knew the Harvard Business Review wasn’t widely read?). They also didn’t like watching CNBC on the T.V. in the waiting room. However, rather than hide the remote control, I decided to use my patients’ suggestions to create a more enjoyable atmosphere. After all, I rationalized, they would only leave my practice for one that catered to their needs if I didn’t. Getting feedback from your patients is essential to the growth of any practice, and it should be something you do on a regular basis. Increasing numbers of cosmetic dermatologists are paying a lot to attain this type of information from consultants. Others are hiring publicists and marketing staff to the tune of more than $5,000 per month. The goal of these consultants is to increase cosmetic patient visits to the office and to gather important information about how patients perceive the doctors’ practice. A Less Pricey Alternative I have found that gathering this type of information from my patients has been priceless in improving my practice, but I didn’t need to pay an arm and a leg to attain this knowledge. For 6 years now, my practice has used a survey that I created, and we’ve gathered about 3,500 responses. The answers have been very helpful in improving patient care and in effectively differentiating my practice from my competitors’ practices. For example, years ago we found through a patient survey that many patients didn’t even know we offered a wide range of cosmetic procedures. Based on this information, we created in-office displays that inform our patients of the cosmetic services we provide, such as Botox and Restylane. Guidelines for Creating a Survey The survey I use isn’t long; patients can fill it out in a few minutes. Also, I only ask about 100 patients to fill out the survey at the beginning of every month. (I also try to get surveys to most of my cosmetic patients.) Generating feedback in this concentrated timeframe helps the staff stay focused on gathering this information and assessing it. Survey takers remain anonymous, and I include a self-addressed, stamped envelope for patients to conveniently return their answers. Because patients take the survey home and remain anonymous, I’ve found that there are many pieces of information that people will share in an anonymous format. Another important aspect of the survey is that we keep it fluid. We’ll modify survey questions when necessary so that they reflect various practice priorities. The questions also serve to introduce patients to new cosmetic procedures that my practice offers. Types of Questions to Ask Since my practice includes more than one physician, the first question we ask patients is which physician they saw. Follow-up questions focus on whether the physician spent enough time with the patient, explained the issues at hand, and discussed the procedure and any alternatives to it. With regard to procedures, one thing I learned from conducting patient surveys was that a competitor offered intraoral nerve blocks instead of the transcutaneous method I was using, and a patient noted that this was more comfortable. Just this one tidbit of information helped us change our method for the better, making my practice more competitive. Medical assistants are the topic of another survey question. Were they cordial and informative or distant and cold? Did the staff member identify herself and provide the patient with a business card for later questions? In my experience, these are the types of topics that physicians frequently avoid. In reality, these questions are almost as important to the success of a cosmetic practice as the skill of the physician. A patient’s first interaction with your office is usually via phone, and I like to gather information about this as well. Most cosmetic dermatologists like to know how their patients were treated on the phone or whether the receptionist discussed daycare with a co-worker while the patient was paying for his or her Botox treatment and attempting to schedule another appointment. We also ask patients how many times the phone rang before it was answered (more than four is too much and will foster the impression that your office is too busy or too preoccupied to take care of people). Placing people on hold is also a bad way of interacting with cosmetic patients — particularly in the age of walk-in Botox treatments that can be obtained at the local hair salon. To gauge whether we’re on the mark with making procedures as comfortable and successful as possible, we ask several questions. Questions related to alternative or additional treatments afford the opportunity to introduce patients to lasers, liposuction, Botox, Restylane and a host of other cosmetic treatments. Listening to Patients is Good Medicine and Good Business Cosmetic dermatologists are some of the most intelligent and well-skilled physicians I know. As a group, I’d say that we are also generally a successful bunch. But there’s always room for improvement. When I first implemented patient surveys, I had no idea what I’d learn, but I knew I needed to tap into my patients’ likes and dislikes to make my practice the best it could be. At first I needed to swallow some pride, but then I realized from these experiences that listening better to patients is not only good medicine, but good business as well. For the time investment of a few hours a month, you, too, are likely to uncover some practical, detailed information that you can use to better your practice. The best advice I can give you is to be open to the possibilities of what you might find — and don’t get too attached to that remote control in the waiting room. If you’d like to download the patient care survey designed by Dr. Beer and modify it for your own patients, you can get a copy by visiting Dr. Beer’s Web site at www.palmbeachcosmetic.com and clicking on “Patient Forms.”
T he first time a patient informed me that I was less than perfect, I was sure he was mistaken. I’d always thought that my office was perfect since I designed it. It was a given that my taste in everything from artificial flowers to magazine subscriptions was impeccable. This changed the first time I conducted a patient survey. It amazed me to learn that my cosmetic patients liked different magazines than those I offered (who knew the Harvard Business Review wasn’t widely read?). They also didn’t like watching CNBC on the T.V. in the waiting room. However, rather than hide the remote control, I decided to use my patients’ suggestions to create a more enjoyable atmosphere. After all, I rationalized, they would only leave my practice for one that catered to their needs if I didn’t. Getting feedback from your patients is essential to the growth of any practice, and it should be something you do on a regular basis. Increasing numbers of cosmetic dermatologists are paying a lot to attain this type of information from consultants. Others are hiring publicists and marketing staff to the tune of more than $5,000 per month. The goal of these consultants is to increase cosmetic patient visits to the office and to gather important information about how patients perceive the doctors’ practice. A Less Pricey Alternative I have found that gathering this type of information from my patients has been priceless in improving my practice, but I didn’t need to pay an arm and a leg to attain this knowledge. For 6 years now, my practice has used a survey that I created, and we’ve gathered about 3,500 responses. The answers have been very helpful in improving patient care and in effectively differentiating my practice from my competitors’ practices. For example, years ago we found through a patient survey that many patients didn’t even know we offered a wide range of cosmetic procedures. Based on this information, we created in-office displays that inform our patients of the cosmetic services we provide, such as Botox and Restylane. Guidelines for Creating a Survey The survey I use isn’t long; patients can fill it out in a few minutes. Also, I only ask about 100 patients to fill out the survey at the beginning of every month. (I also try to get surveys to most of my cosmetic patients.) Generating feedback in this concentrated timeframe helps the staff stay focused on gathering this information and assessing it. Survey takers remain anonymous, and I include a self-addressed, stamped envelope for patients to conveniently return their answers. Because patients take the survey home and remain anonymous, I’ve found that there are many pieces of information that people will share in an anonymous format. Another important aspect of the survey is that we keep it fluid. We’ll modify survey questions when necessary so that they reflect various practice priorities. The questions also serve to introduce patients to new cosmetic procedures that my practice offers. Types of Questions to Ask Since my practice includes more than one physician, the first question we ask patients is which physician they saw. Follow-up questions focus on whether the physician spent enough time with the patient, explained the issues at hand, and discussed the procedure and any alternatives to it. With regard to procedures, one thing I learned from conducting patient surveys was that a competitor offered intraoral nerve blocks instead of the transcutaneous method I was using, and a patient noted that this was more comfortable. Just this one tidbit of information helped us change our method for the better, making my practice more competitive. Medical assistants are the topic of another survey question. Were they cordial and informative or distant and cold? Did the staff member identify herself and provide the patient with a business card for later questions? In my experience, these are the types of topics that physicians frequently avoid. In reality, these questions are almost as important to the success of a cosmetic practice as the skill of the physician. A patient’s first interaction with your office is usually via phone, and I like to gather information about this as well. Most cosmetic dermatologists like to know how their patients were treated on the phone or whether the receptionist discussed daycare with a co-worker while the patient was paying for his or her Botox treatment and attempting to schedule another appointment. We also ask patients how many times the phone rang before it was answered (more than four is too much and will foster the impression that your office is too busy or too preoccupied to take care of people). Placing people on hold is also a bad way of interacting with cosmetic patients — particularly in the age of walk-in Botox treatments that can be obtained at the local hair salon. To gauge whether we’re on the mark with making procedures as comfortable and successful as possible, we ask several questions. Questions related to alternative or additional treatments afford the opportunity to introduce patients to lasers, liposuction, Botox, Restylane and a host of other cosmetic treatments. Listening to Patients is Good Medicine and Good Business Cosmetic dermatologists are some of the most intelligent and well-skilled physicians I know. As a group, I’d say that we are also generally a successful bunch. But there’s always room for improvement. When I first implemented patient surveys, I had no idea what I’d learn, but I knew I needed to tap into my patients’ likes and dislikes to make my practice the best it could be. At first I needed to swallow some pride, but then I realized from these experiences that listening better to patients is not only good medicine, but good business as well. For the time investment of a few hours a month, you, too, are likely to uncover some practical, detailed information that you can use to better your practice. The best advice I can give you is to be open to the possibilities of what you might find — and don’t get too attached to that remote control in the waiting room. If you’d like to download the patient care survey designed by Dr. Beer and modify it for your own patients, you can get a copy by visiting Dr. Beer’s Web site at www.palmbeachcosmetic.com and clicking on “Patient Forms.”
