I was calling another doctor's office with a simple question on behalf of my elderly parents yesterday, and had an incredibly hard time getting to a live human, and then finding the right person to answer my question. It made me start thinking about the consumer experience of being a patient, and of how my own patients are treated. I had the following thoughts about the service we provide to our fertility patients, but I believe these benchmarks apply to patients in general. If you agree, feel free to share this posting with your friends. If you disagree, share your own opinion.
• FRONT DESK: Expect politeness and friendliness when you arrive and sign in at the front desk. Do be aware that an in-depth answer to some questions may not be possible, if the staff are very busy at the moment but always expect politeness. A staff that ignores your presence or acts as if your visit/phone call is an annoyance for them should be a red flag.
• PHONE CALLS: Are your calls answered promptly or after 20 rings? Does a human answer the phone or are you required to "press 1 for billing…." Do you have to re-explain who you are and why you are calling every time? Your phone calls should be answered within a reasonable time period, such as within 24 hours if you called during business hours, on a non-holiday and more quickly for urgent matters.
• MEDICAL STAFF: Are your questions answered? One of the most important reasons you come to the clinic is to understand your diagnosis, the recommended treatment and realistic expectations for different outcomes. You should be given enough information to make can make an informed decision. If you don't understand, ask questions and write down the answers. If you questions are repeatedly not answered because the staff is to busy, or you are made to feel foolish for asking a question, this is another red flag.
• TEST RESULTS: Test results should be delivered promptly and appropriately. If you prefer to be contacted via email, or for the office to leave you a voicemail, are your wishes respected? Does the doctor him/herself call with any very important news? When you have tests done, are you contacted in a timely manner with the results, or are you told, "No news is good news" (Or possibly your test was lost, misfiled, etc…)
• FINANCIAL MATTERS: Do you know what you are being charged and why? Does the office make the effort to verify your infertility benefits and to explain what tests or treatments will be covered by your insurance? Will the office call the insurance company on your behalf if needed?
• WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF YOUR EXPECTATIONS ARE NOT BEING MET? Communication is key when you are working with your fertility provider. You should voice your any concerns that you have to either your physician or nurse, and expect answers about what can be done differently. On the other hand, your health care providers are not mind readers, so if you are unhappy with something, you should let them know and give them a chance to work with you.
• NOT EVERY FERTILITLY CENTER IS THE SAME. At a very large, very busy center where hundreds of patients are seen daily, it may simply not be logistically possible to meet your expectations. They may not recognize you on sight, or be able to have a human being answer every call. It may not be possible for you to see the same physician with each visit, or even to see a physician at all. If these things are not important to you, you may prefer the convenience of going to a center with 10 doctors and 20 offices. If a high level level of personalized service is important to you, you may want to consider a smaller practice with one location.
• MY VEIWPOINT: I have practiced Reproductive Endocrinology for 18 years and spent years at medium sized, large and ultra-large centers. As a physician, I prefer the level of service that can only be provided in a smaller practice, and for this reason, I opened my own office in 2006. At Pennsylvania Reproductive Specialists, your feedback is extremely important to us. If we are doing something right, please let us know. It is important for our staff to get positive feedback. If we are doing something wrong, please also let us know so that we can improve our service.
