Are you there for them?
A patient calls your office …
… because he has a concern there is an error in the prep instructions for his colonoscopy scheduled for the next day
… because her child is having a strange reaction to her flu shot she had in your office earlier that morning
… because he is coming down with a cold and doesn’t know if he should take his regular rheumatoid arthritis medication (an immunosuppressive) that day
… because she was discharged from the hospital after you performed surgery to remove kidney stones and now she has trouble urinating
These patients are anxious and turning to you, their trusted physician, for help.
What happens?
Can the patient speak to one of your staff members or do they get sent to voice mail?
If they are sent to voice mail, how quickly does someone return the call and address the question or concern?
Do you have an expected standard for returning calls?
Does that standard in fact meet your patients’ needs?
I have heard some great success stories of practices with physicians or care coordinators who either answer immediately or return these calls promptly (within 1-2 hours max). I’ve also heard some horror stories of patients ending up at the ER, after hours of waiting for an answer, simply because no one in the physician’s office returned their call before the office closed for the day. Those patients were stressed, tired, frustrated and in many cases, their condition had deteriorated because of the delay and added stress. And often, they and/or their family members shared their negative experience with others and may have even broadcast it on social media.
Which kind of practice do you have? Are you asking your patients to make sure?