Take your waiting room experience to the next level
Did you ever consider your waiting room area as the perfect showroom for your brand, your services or any products? No? Well, you should. It’s a not only a place where your patients spend time, but also where they are open to receive information on topics that they are currently concerned about such as ‘what can I do to get better’ or ‘what treatment options do I have and how do I know they will work’. If affected by a condition, most people want to know as much about them as they can, which is why online resources for medical conditions are gaining more and more popularity. Imagine how grateful your patients will be when getting this information straight from you instead of having to look online?
So why not equip your waiting room with valuable information they can either consume there or – better yet – take home? We know from studies that patients can forget up to 80% of the information given to them the second they leave your office, so providing them with print outs or digital information sources on conditions and treatments will make things easier for you and them.
Apart from that, here some other benefits of providing your patients informational handouts:
1. Written information can reemphasize any verbal information that you provide to them during treatment. It can create a sense of urgency for following through with care plans or sticking to appointments.
2. Providing patients with general information on additional services you offer can help you create awareness for them and their benefits. This is especially important if you try to expand into fitness or wellness offerings, because your patients might not automatically associate you with these.
3. Providing your patients with well-made handouts or videos or posters can help you position your practice, build your brand and differentiate you from competition. Do you want to be perceived as a clinic that specializes in a certain demographic such as athletes, families or geriatric patients? Showcase resources or videos that speak to them and their needs!
As healthcare providers, we often limit our brand building efforts to having the best treatments, but creating patient centric experiences can sometimes help you deliver exactly that. A patient that is not educated, engaged or taken care of might end up missing necessary treatments, which will then have negative impact on their and YOUR treatment success. So, don’t miss any chance to increase their engagement and start right at the first area of contact: in your waiting room!
Questions, feedback, suggestions? Inbox me at rikeaprea@webexercises.com
About the author: Friederike is the VP of Business Development and Marketing Strategy at WebExercises. She previously worked for Reebok, BMW, and the Adidas Group in the US and Asia and is an ACE certified personal trainer and NASM Corrective Exercise Specialist.
