Communicating with Patients
If you do nothing else during this time, at the very least you need to communicate. Over-communicating is not possible during a time of crisis, and it shouldn’t be any different for your practice with those who depend on you – your patients.
What to Communicate:
• The most important factor to keep your practice going, at whatever capacity it is running at, and for when you re-open, is to comfort your patients. Let them know the precautions you are taking to keep them, and your staff, safe and healthy. This may include cleaning measures, how you are distancing (space and time), new ways they are to check in or how you are triaging different, .
• Inform your patients what services you are offering and at what capacity every step of the way. We hope many of them won’t need the emergency services you are offering but it’s a comfort to know where to go if it is needed and those informed patients can become a resource for others who are looking for the care.
• Updates! Starting to offer telemedicine? Set up an IOP check drive-through or curb-side pick-up for optical? These services won’t be helpful unless the word gets out.
• Set expectations whether the patient is coming in now for an urgent appointment or when you start seeing routine visits again. Prior to their appointment, email, call or text what they should expect for their appointment including any requests. These would include new check-in or triage procedures, request to come alone if possible, wear a mask, etc.
How to Communicate:
• Keep your status messages up (i.e. don’t take them down until things change) and up to date, through your website and social media outlets. Send out practice emails as things change, i.e. all those updates!
• Consider your marketing messages. Your marketing messages, whether digital, broadcast or even your automated email drip campaigns, should never be set-it-and-forget-it. Review them and use them to get your most important messages out there. If you are offering telemedicine, consider utilizing your digital media to promote this. Giving back or supporting a local cause? Use your radio billboard ads to pass along your message.
• Look to the local media. With so many companies closing during this time, more and more are pulling off media. Econ 101 taught us low demand also brings down prices. This may be a great time to take advantage of lower than standard rates on broadcast. In addition, many media outlets are offering FREE announcements for local businesses. Check with your local papers as well as radio and television stations to get your practice message out to the community.
• Consider text messaging! Text has been shown to be the preferred way to receive reminders and often, even information across almost every age demographic. If you haven’t already, NOW is a great time to look into integrating this communication application into your practice.
Communicating with your Staff
Finally, if you want to be able to hit the ground running when you re-open, you need to ensure a motivate and prepared staff will be next to you. Here are four basic items you can and should be doing:
• Constantly keep them informed of your status.
• Your expectations of how and when you will bring them back
• How you will keep THEM safe when they do return
• Keep morale UP! Host a Happy Hour Zoom call.
