Using Feedback From Unsatisfied Patients to Improve Workflows and Patient Care

Is patient satisfaction a box to check off or a chance to truly improve healthcare?

Community health centers excel at providing patients with a positive experience and high-quality healthcare, but we can always improve.

One thing I think we could do better is talk to patients who are unsatisfied with their care. Simply asking them, "Were you satisfied with your visit today?" won't help you improve how you provide patient care. Sure, it makes it easier to check the box on measuring patient satisfaction, but having a conversation with a dissatisfied patient is where you'll get the most valuable feedback.

If you send surveys to patients right after their visit, ask them if you can contact them to discuss their survey answers and collect their names and phone numbers. 🤳

👉 If they indicate they were anything but extremely satisfied, have someone from the organization contact them and ask additional questions. These conversations can be a gold mine for helpful information in improving your processes and workflows.

Here is what that conversation might look like.

Start the conversation: "I see you were not extremely satisfied with your visit to our health center. Can I ask you a few more questions?"

❓ "What part of the visit did not meet your expectations?"

❓ "What part of the visit did meet your expectations?"

❓ "What could we have done differently to meet your expectations?"

❓ "What was your goal with the visit?"

❓ "What could we have done differently to help you accomplish your goal?"

The important thing is to take their feedback and use it to improve. Is there a theme with their answers? Are you seeing the same frustrations over and over again? What needs to happen to fix this for your other patients?

Conversations with patients who are unsatisfied with your services are a great way to improve overall patient satisfaction and retention.

What strategies have you found helpful in improving patient satisfaction?