8 Ways Hospitals Can Improve Patient Engagement and Satisfaction

Updated on July 28, 2020
improve patient satisfaction

Did you know that noise levels in some hospitals have been reported to be more than 100 decibels? With most hospitals having double the recommended decibel amount, there is a high probability that it is affecting patient engagement. Learning how to improve patient satisfaction and engagement is key to running a successful hospital that people want to go to when they need your services. 

Keep reading for a few tips and tricks to improve patient satisfaction.

1. Be Specific

A great way to improve patient engagement is to be as specific as possible. As professionals just telling a patient to improve their health outcome is not enough. The best way to help a patient is to tell them how to improve their outcome. 

Instead of giving vague instructions like “lose weight” or “stop smoking” supply a how-to guide to reach that specific goal. The easier you make it for patients to get to the end goal that you want for them the more likely they will be able to follow through. 

2. Hospital Atmosphere

Most people will agree that a hospital is one of the least relaxing places to be in. The super bright lights, the quick-paced movement, and all the noise do not make the average person feel at ease. Take the time to upgrade the decor to help create a warmer environment. 

Adapt innovative solutions such as keeping decibels at nighttime lower to not disturb the patient’s sleep. 

3. Patient Experience

Giving the patients a memorable experience will help make them comfortable during their stay. There are mobile engagement apps that you can incorporate into your hospital which gives the patients a bedside concierge at their fingertips. 

You can also check out this Hospital Marketing Guide for further ideas about improving the patient experience on your website as well. 

4. Integrate Technology

Technology is your friend when it comes to improving your platforms. Use things such as a customer relationship management platform to help you collect, organize, and analyze the data you have. When you are in the know about things such as behavioral patterns, demographics, social media activity, clinical history, and call center interactions, you can generate a better report about the patients your facility tends to. 

You can also use a marketing automation tool to help create a patient engagement journey. The hospital can adapt engagement through direct mail, social media, and email to keep in touch with previous patients and to attract new patients. 

5. Get the Patient Involved

The last few decades have been about nodding yes to the “all-knowing’ physician, but times are changing. Patients are much more interested in their own health and are seeking advice and doing their own research online. Although doctors and physicians might find this annoying this can be used to the physician’s advantage. 

A healthcare professional can leverage this mindest to get the patient to be more involved in setting their health goals. A patient will be more likely to follow a plan when they are involved and when they know they are working toward an important goal. 

The more personal the goals are the more likely the patient will be able to follow through and achieve them. 

6. Engage Outside the Hospital

Do not wait for your patients to come to the hospital to engage with them, instead, be proactive and engage with them outside of the hospital or clinic. Engaging a patient outside of the hospital walls is possible thanks to technology. 

The more you can successfully engage a patient when they are not inside the hospital the more likely they will choose to visit your hospital when they need help or are feeling down. 

7. Simplicity Is Key

Soemtimes healthcare jargon is confusing, to say the least. The best thing to do is to keep everything simple instead or using confusing lingo when talking to a patient. To ensure that everyone is on the same page it is best to use explanations at an elementary school level. 

The patient will be able to easily understand what is being told and will be able to follow through and understand why they have a certain course of action to take. Healthcare professionals can position their patients for success instead of failure when they keep the materials simple enough for a school-age child to understand. 

8. Automation Is Key

Trying to maintain continuous contact with every single patient is a whole job on its own. This is where automation will come in handy because no physician has enough time to keep track of every single patient they see. 

Your hospital can adapt automation of patient education, text messages, emails, and appointment reminders. This will be one less thing that has to be done manually by a secretary, giving them more time to take care of inputting new customer information and helping patients that are present. 

Although not everything can be automated, when you take advantage of automating as much as you can it will make customer satisfaction higher. 

Ready to Improve Patient Engagement?

Now that you have our top tips and tricks to improve patient engagement, it is time to start applying everything above. The sooner you take action the quicker you will see a change within your patient base. Patients are starting to weigh their options even when it comes to healthcare. 

A patient’s loyalty will improve your hospital brand and reputation.

Did you find our blog post helpful today? Please feel free to browse the rest of our site to catch up with our other informative posts. 

The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.