The Mindware Connection

Making Your Office More Productive and Efficient JUST USING YOUR VOICE!

Standard Service or Exceptional Service?

Posted by Julie - on Wed, Jun 04, 2014

Improving HealthcareGreat customer service is not hard.  It is giving to someone the same thing you expect for a product or service.  If we could all think in those terms, imagine the changes we could make in all facets of life... especially healthcare. 

In Jeff Rowe's article "Is health reform as simple as better customer service?", Walgreens attempts to increase clinic services, stating, "Patients rarely wait more than 20 minutes, many services are available for less than $100, and the clinics accept most insurance plans. Patients will know their charges and position in the queue in advance because Healthcare Clinic posts this information on screens in the waiting area. After a patient visit, a nurse practitioner or physician assistant sends the records to the patient's regular doctor (with patient/parent permission), walks him or her out with a discharge summary, and calls a day or two later to check in."  The question is, is this standard care or care that goes above and beyond?  Shouldn't we expect these things whenever we are in need of medical care?

Sadly, most times when we go to a doctor

  • we often wait 30-60 minutes before we are seen
  • we aren't told what the cost will be before we enter the exam room
  • we don't know what our insurance covers
  • we have to track down our medical records because systems don't talk to each other
  • rarely do we see a provider who cares enough or has enough time to follow up on how we are doing

Now I'm not putting blame on the providers... there are too many reasons to list for poor customer service and too many cooks in the kitchen to pin the blame on.  However, my point is to look at the customer service we expect and ask ourselves if we are providing what our expectation is, no matter what area of service we are talking about.

Time is short and our days seem to be clicking by at a faster pace then ever.  In order to be at our best, we have to use the tools that will help us streamline our efforts and make us more productive.  For instance, EMR systems help organize patient information and allow providers to bill appropriately.  Dragon Medical Practice Edition allows providers to enter their notes faster and provide better medical care by allowing for comprehensive patient notes more quickly so the provider can spend more time with the patient. Health Information Exchange Organizations help bring systems together, so that they talk to each other.  New apps and websites give providers information quickly for diagnoses and more beneficial patient plans.  The bottom line is that there are endless resources for increasing customer service in healthcare.

Good customer service is simple.  Deliver what you expect as if you are the customer.

Tags: EMR, Customer service, healthcare, Walgreens clinic