Surveys regarding patient satisfaction with their medical practice show some surprising results. The majority of patients rate their doctors quite highly. In fact, in one such study only 4% of the complaints were regarding medical treatment; 96% were about administrative and organizational issues. The biggest complaints, it turns out, stem from the billing office and waiting room—not the exam room.
Today, poor reviews from patients have a much wider reach than previously. Online reviews of medical practices are the way that many people express their satisfaction or dissatisfaction. Another interesting finding is that those patients who are dissatisfied tend to write much longer and more detailed reviews than patients who had a positive experience. For your practice this means one negative review can translate into a significant impact on your bottom line as people searching online for a podiatrist will be more likely to pass over your practice if lengthy scathing reviews are on your site.
What Makes Patients Dissatisfied?
The issues that drew the most negative responses were connected to communication and billing. Many patients are subject to collection agency calls and other tactics for medical bills that they either have no idea what they are for or that they claim they have already paid.
According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau chief complaints included:
- Inaccurate medical bills
- Bills for services they did not receive.
- Difficulty reaching a billing specialist and getting explanation of a bill.
- Not receiving a bill before hearing from a collection agency
- Debt collectors including detailed medical information in attempts to collect on a claim which violated privacy policies.
- Being informed that their credit score had gone down due to an unpaid medical bill.
Accurate, timely, and efficient billing services which allow patients direct access to a billing specialist when there’s a question or problem are a must for today’s podiatric practices. To be deficient in this key area of your practice can result in the loss of current patients and a lack of referrals and new patients.
We can help you avoid billing errors. A Step Above Health Management Systems provides specialized podiatric medical billing services to clients nationwide. Let our firm provide your practice with a plan customized to manage all your billing needs. Please call us at (877) 448-6233 to learn how our solution can save your money and help streamline your billing process.
