Why Every Orthopedic Practice Needs to Use Surveys

AAOE Members can now run Patient Reported Outcome, Net Promoter Score, and Patient
Satisfaction surveys—as well as CAHPS, HOOS, KOOS, PROMIS, and more—at a discounted
price.

Patient surveys not only allow orthopedic practices to use feedback to improve the patient experience but also provide practices with prime data that can be used to market quality care to potential patients.

Improving the Patient Experience
A survey allows you to experience a patient’s journey from their perspective. You’ll better understand how patients are being treated from the moment they walk in the door through the end of their visit. Many of the negative reviews medical professionals receive are based on patient expectations rather than patient issues.

A survey can give you an idea of what those expectations are before someone feels the need to leave a negative review. Understanding is the first step in improving patient experience, especially if you follow up your new understanding with action. Something as simple as the arrangement of the chairs in the waiting room or putting up signs asking patients to move phone conversations outside the waiting area could go a long way toward meeting those expectations.

Additionally, patient surveys can reveal issues you don’t know exist with personal interactions or even with the billing process. Once you are aware, improvements can be made. And happy patients will A) continue to visit your office for care and B) leave positive reviews that will attract more patients to your office.

Turning Surveys into Powerful Marketing Messages
When it comes to promoting your practice, your marketing messages have perceived bias: of course you think your practice is the best in town! But, surveys can act as an objective measure of treatment outcomes based on the most important source—the patient’s perspective. Using positive sentiments and favorable data that you gather during the survey process to promote your practice on your website, digital ads, postcards, etc. will lend more credibility to your claims.

This is especially true for Patient Reported Outcome (PRO) surveys. While PRO surveys are traditionally used to guide medical decisions on the provider end, they can serve as a fantastic tool on the patient end as well. When it comes to selecting a practice and a surgeon, patients have limited resources from which to gather information.

Unlike most industries, patients can not test your product and return it if it’s not to their liking or even compare pricing across brands. This leads patients to turn to two major means of comparison: word of mouth and online reviews. While you are limited in the control you have over word of mouth communications, you can work to gather a large number of online reviews that accurately reflect the level of care you provide.

But, what if Amazing Ortho down the street has just as many positive reviews as you do? You need to offer your desired patients another point of proof: enter PRO survey results. As more and more practices improve their online reviews, data that essentially certifies your surgeons’ abilities to improve patient quality of life will be invaluable.

Get Surveys at a Discount

Ensure your orthopedic practice has its finger on the pulse when it comes to patient feedback and acquisition. Contact SocialClimb Marketing today for 20% off survey pricing—available exclusively to AAOE Members.