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Building strong patient relationships results in better experiences and outcomes for eye health patients. As an optometrist, you can grow your optometry practice by taking a proactive approach to patient relationship management and implementing proven strategies to foster trust and communication.
Optometry Patient Relationship Management
Actively managing patient relationships empowers patients while making them feel confident about the quality of the vision care they’re receiving. With a relationship management strategy in place, patients will be more likely to keep up with the annual eye exams recommended by the American Optometric Association and follow through with the treatment plans you create for them.
Benefits include enhanced patient satisfaction and a higher retention rate. Your optometry practice will also grow thanks to repeat visits and recommendations.
Establishing Trusting Relationships With Optometry Patients
Patients may mistrust the healthcare system. You can win them over by applying these proven strategies:
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Be transparent. Take the time to explain diagnoses and treatment options. Going over what will happen during an eye exam is another great way to build trust while making patients feel involved.
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Show empathy. Ask open-ended questions to better understand symptoms and mirror patients’ feelings.
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Use active listening. This strategy will help you confirm the pain points patients are experiencing.
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Communicate openly. Pay attention to body language and use a friendly tone to make patients feel at ease.
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Set clear expectations and be consistent. If you tell a patient something, make sure to follow through.
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Educate patients. Visual aids and digital resources can make eye health conditions easier to understand.
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Respect patient advocacy. Your role is to empower patients, but they are ultimately in charge of their health.
Strategies for Effective Optometry Patient Relationship Management
You can transform your optometry practice by developing a patient-centric process designed to manage and improve relationships.
Developing Patient Relationships
These strategies will help improve the patient experience and build trust:
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Streamline the onboarding process. Create a simple process for gathering medical history information and booking appointments.
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Take a personalized approach. Share personalized educational resources and explain how the treatment plan you’re recommending is adapted to each patient.
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Offer different channels for staying in touch. Follow up with reminders for future appointments and at-home treatments.
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Strive for improvement. Use surveys or another feedback tool to identify ways to improve your optometry practice.
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Remember that human contact matters. Have a team member greet patients when they walk in, and always take a few minutes to engage patients before and after exams.
Improving Patient Relationship With Technology
Technology is a valuable tool for building strong patient relationships:
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Use automation. Automating some tasks gives you more time to interact with patients.
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Use digital platforms to support communication. You can send text or email reminders or offer an online platform to book appointments.
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Prioritize organization. Patient management software helps organize and access patient profiles. Proper organization enables you to take a few minutes to review each patient’s profile before an appointment, so you can offer a more personalized experience.
Impact of Positive Optometry Patient Relationships
The demand for eye health care is increasing as the population ages. You can make the most of this opportunity to grow your vision care practice by focusing on patient experience and patient relationships.
Strong patient relationships have many benefits for your optometry practice:
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Patients feel valued. They’ll understand the importance of preventive care and be more likely to come back for regular exams.
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Patients send you referrals. They will tell their friends about your optometry practice, and parents will bring their children for pediatric exams.
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Patient eye health improves. Patients who feel safe about discussing their symptoms and asking questions are more likely to play an active role in managing their eye health, resulting in better outcomes.
Build Better Optometry Patient Relationships With VCD
Focusing on patient relationships will result in a better patient experience and eye health outcomes. It’s a crucial element for growing your optometry practice.
Vision Care Direct of Oklahoma can support a better patient experience with affordable prepaid vision plans. By joining VCD’s network, you’re giving patients access to negotiated savings and other valuable perks. Get in touch with us to learn more!
