The 3 Feedback Pillars of a Growing Healthcare Organization

Feedback is what’s beginning to separate mediocre healthcare organizations from fantastic ones. 

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And while healthcare orgs traditionally associate feedback with patient satisfaction, there’s a much larger world of feedback that’s essential for steady growth. 

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In this piece, we’ll look at the 3 essential categories of feedback and what your organization can get from each of them. We’ll also offer a few suggestions on how best to get that feedback at your organization.

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Reviews and Online Reputation

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A study by Software Advice reveals that 72% of patients use online reviews as their first step to finding a new doctor. If you’re in the market for new patients (which any growing practice is) your online reputation can either guide the way or keep you from growing, which is why it’s crucial to use a tool for soliciting reviews. 

Public feedback platforms like Google and Healthgrades serve as virtual storefronts where prospective patients form their first impressions. Positive reviews not only attract new patients but also instill trust and confidence in existing ones. Conversely, negative reviews can tarnish a practice's reputation and deter potential patients. Therefore, actively managing public feedback is crucial for healthcare organizations aiming to thrive in a competitive market.

Beyond soliciting reviews, healthcare practices must also prioritize responsiveness and transparency in addressing feedback. Timely responses to patient reviews, whether positive or negative, demonstrate a commitment to patient satisfaction and service excellence. Furthermore, leveraging positive feedback as testimonials on the practice's website and social media channels can amplify its credibility and attract a broader audience.

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Patient Experience Surveys

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While public feedback provides valuable insights, it often lacks granularity and context. Patient experience surveys offer a deeper understanding of the intricacies of the care journey, allowing healthcare organizations to identify areas of strength and opportunities for improvement. By deploying customized surveys tailored to specific touchpoints in the patient experience, such as appointment scheduling, waiting times, communication with providers, and post-visit follow-up, practices can pinpoint areas needing attention.

Moreover, patient experience surveys facilitate benchmarking and trend analysis over time, enabling healthcare organizations to track performance metrics and measure the impact of initiatives aimed at enhancing patient satisfaction. Investing in user-friendly survey platforms equipped with analytics capabilities empowers practices to derive actionable insights and drive continuous improvement initiatives. Note, too, that according to a study published in Telemedicine and eHealth, 70% of patients prefer to receive surveys via text message, making it crucial for healthcare orgs to send surveys through effective channels like these. 

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Employee Experience Surveys

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According to the 2023 NSI National Healthcare Retention & RN Staffing Report, the average hospital turned over 105% of its staff in the last 5 years. Employee dissatisfaction is at a concerning high thanks to everything from COVID to general labor shortages, and retirement of older healthcare professionals. Due to these challenges, it’s more crucial than ever that healthcare organizations prioritize employee satisfaction. High turnover rates, burnout, and disengagement can significantly impact the quality of patient care and organizational performance. Employee experience surveys serve as a vital tool for assessing staff morale, identifying pain points, and fostering a culture of employee engagement and empowerment.

By soliciting feedback from frontline staff, administrative personnel, and clinical teams, healthcare organizations gain valuable insights into organizational culture, leadership effectiveness, workload management, and professional development opportunities. Armed with this data, organizations can implement targeted interventions to address concerns, recognize achievements, and cultivate a supportive work environment conducive to employee retention and satisfaction.

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Feedback: How to Get it Effectively

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Feedback is the lifeblood of organizational growth and innovation in healthcare. By embracing a multi-faceted approach to feedback encompassing public, patient, and employee perspectives, healthcare organizations can foster a culture of continuous improvement and excellence–but how do you do it? For most, it’s a matter of partnering with an organization that can provide the tools and know-how to make the process easy, timely, and effective. Here are some things to look for in a solution: 

Building a robust patient feedback program from scratch can be a significant undertaking. For many DSOs and dental groups, partnering with a dedicated patient feedback solution provider can be the most efficient and effective approach.

Here's what to look for in a patient feedback partner:

• Industry Expertise: Look for a company with a proven track record of success in the dental and healthcare space.
• Solution Focus: Choose a partner who offers solutions specifically to gather these three pillars of feedback (Online reviews, patient experience surveys, and employee experience surveys) 
• Integration Capabilities: Ensure the solution can seamlessly integrate with your existing practice management system (PMS) or electronic health record (EHR) for a streamlined workflow.
• Scalability and Ease of Use: Consider how easily the solution can be implemented across your entire network of practices.
• Dedicated Support: Look for a partner who offers ongoing support and guidance to help you maximize response rates and make the most of your patient feedback data.

Conclusion

In summary, the three feedback pillars—public feedback, patient experience surveys, and employee experience surveys—form the foundation of a proactive feedback strategy for healthcare organizations. By leveraging feedback to inform decision-making, drive continuous improvement, and foster a culture of excellence, healthcare practices can navigate challenges, seize opportunities, and deliver exceptional care experiences to patients and employees alike.

Solutions like Swell offer comprehensive feedback management platforms designed specifically for the healthcare industry. With features such as automated survey distribution, customizable questionnaires, real-time feedback, and seamless integration with Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems, Swell empowers healthcare organizations to harness the power of feedback to drive positive outcomes. 

By using technology-enabled feedback solutions, healthcare practices can elevate patient satisfaction, enhance employee engagement, and position themselves for sustained success in a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape.

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