If you’re considering a career in Medical Office Administration, you will be working in a front-facing position where your main objective is to ensure that the needs of patients are being met. Your job is important because the clinic or medical centre where you will work relies heavily on repeat patients for its success. Occasionally, you’ll encounter dissatisfied patients who may complain about the medical treatment or service they’ve received. Most of us would rather not deal with confrontation, particularly at our place of work, but when there is an effective system in place for managing patient complaints, the results can be positive and even encourage patients to return. Keep reading for some tips that will help you to manage patient complaints.
Be Proactive About Patient Satisfaction
Naturally, it’s often assumed that patient complaints should only be dealt with when significant issues arise. In fact, a more proactive approach to patient satisfaction will help you position your clinic as an organization that cares about providing excellent service and care. Try making it a priority to collect information about patient satisfaction during appointments to create a culture of constant improvement at your medical office. Once you’ve completed your medical office administration training, this approach will help you to lower the number of complaints that are received. Consider sending out surveys via email and in person to maximize the data you can use to improve your service.
Don’t Take Patient Grievances Personally
Patients having trouble with their insurance coverage or expressing issues with their procedures may be distressed, which is totally understandable. Add the stress of a potential health problem, and surely, you can understand that the patients submitting complaints are under a lot of stress. Always strive to put yourself in the patient’s place. If they express emotional reactions to the issues they’ve been experiencing, listen with empathy, validate their feelings, and apologize sincerely for errors. Remember that patient dissatisfaction likely has little to do with you, and you’ll likely be better equipped to respond calmly and find an effective solution.
Always Document Patient Complaints After Medical Office Admin Training
After medical office management training, document each patient’s complaint as it comes up. By doing this, you are avoiding repeated issues and demonstrating a desire to provide the best possible care. In addition to patient satisfaction, documenting patient complaints in detail can help you to protect your medical office from a legal standpoint, should any issue be escalated to that level. By having a clear, easily accessible system for complaint documentation, like an internal database, you can organize complaints for future reference and potentially use the information you’ve collected to protect the reputation of your medical office.
Focus on Solutions
In addition to expressing empathy and concern for the difficulties that patients are experiencing, by offering solutions and providing the patient with options, you are redirecting the interaction to a more positive space. As you gain experience in the workplace, always be on the lookout for ways to handle each issue, particularly the ones you notice most often. This helps you to make a professional impression on patients and helps to improve their satisfaction by eliminating their problems. In cases where the problem cannot be resolved immediately, aim to deal with it promptly and follow up as soon as possible.
Our medical office administration program teaches students practical office management skills, bookkeeping, accounting, and more. At Discovery Community College, you will receive expert instruction and hands-on learning experiences so that you can handle patient complaints and any challenge that comes your way with confidence.
Ready to start medical office admin training?
Contact Discovery Community College to learn how you can get started.