September 11, 2019

Yes, the original saying involved putting your best foot forward, but in this world of Facebook and LinkedIn and Instagram, it’s the upper end of your anatomy being inspected, not the lower end.  People want to see your face!  That’s true with the individual and with the institution.  Years ago, tennis great Andre Agassi—noted for his signature look and flowing locks—shot a series of commercials in which he declared, “image is everything.”  What image is your health organization projecting to consumers within the wider community?

Losing Face

If image is everything, then some of us are in big trouble, and that’s because people are watching in ever-increasing numbers.  The image of the individual and the institution is all about reputation, and you can no longer hide a poor image—a poor reputation—in this day and age of social media.  People talk, and people rate!  Whether it be through Yelp or similar sites, you and your organization are being viewed, judged and graded by those who will influence thousands in your market area—and some of you are failing the face test.

While writing this article, I opened one of the above-referenced rating apps on my phone and, just for the fun of it, checked out the local hospitals in my area.  I was shocked to find that one had a lackluster score of two-and-a-half out of five stars, while the other garnered only one star!  What made the reviews even more surprising is that these facilities are a part of two prominent, nationally-known hospital systems—which you would think would mean better processes, better leadership, and better outcomes.

In certain cultures, “losing face”—being disgraced in the eyes of others—can lead to tragic personal consequences.  In the corporate world, it can lead to the death of your business or, at the least, a shake-up in its leadership.

Facing the Facts

As you probably know, healthcare providers and facilities have been participating in mandatory patient satisfaction assessments since 2002.  This includes the hospital version of the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey—known as HCAHPS—performed last year in over 4,000 hospitals across the country.   The whole point of the HCAHPS effort was to begin the process of tying hospital payment to performance AND to allow the general public to see how your facility stacks up in 32 areas of quality measurement.

Remarkably, there was a 266 percent increase in the searching of CAHPS data by consumers over the last year alone.  People are checking you out!  According to a recent Binary Fountain Healthcare (BFH) consumer survey, patients are using digital platforms in much higher numbers than ever before when searching for the right doctor and the right health facility.  Here are a few of their findings:

When adding the 2019 percentages together, we arrive at an aggregate of 142 percent—meaning that many people are using multiple methods to search for the right provider solution.  Of special note, however, is the fact that over half of patients today are choosing healthcare options based on social media.  Compared with just two years ago, this indicates a massive rise in the importance of “word of mouth,” ratings and reputation conveyed digitally.

So, what’s your image in the eyes of those friends, family members and reviewers the patient will be influenced by via Facebook and other platforms?  According to the same survey cited above, 75 percent of healthcare consumers are significantly influenced in their healthcare selections based on electronic feedback from others.  Image is everything.  It can make you or break you.  So, what is your group, facility or system doing to improve that image and to raise your social scoring?

Making an About-Face

If you haven’t already, you need to ascertain the type of ratings your organization is receiving over a wide spectrum of digital sites.  You may not be able to pull numbers from platforms such as Facebook, but you can safely assume that the kind of reviews you’re seeing on other sites will be reflected across social media.  So, check what you can.  Come up with an average consumer rating for your entity, and see what others see in you.  What is your organization’s image within your market area?  If it’s average, poor, or otherwise unacceptable, it’s time for a media make-over.

How, though, can you raise your standing in the eyes of those who have watched you and judged you over the years?  Here are a few thoughts and recommendations:

1. Review and Meet Quality Goals.  Accredited hospitals should do all they can to understand, and assiduously meet, the metrics as recommended in the Joint Commission’s National Quality Improvement Goals.  Striving for quality makes it more likely that you will achieve quality.  That will inevitably translate to better ratings, leading to more customers.
2. Recruit Better Talent.  The perennial winners of the NFL lottery—the New England Patriots—just obtained one of the league’s best receivers from a rival franchise.  They somehow find a way, year in and year out, to obtain that extra edge and, with it, a legitimate shot at another championship.  Medical groups, health systems and individual hospitals already compete for what has become a shrinking pool of qualified clinicians.  However, you’re going to need to up your game to build a winning medical staff.

   It may help to know what potential patients are looking for in the way of provider proficiencies.  According to the BFH survey, consumers have for the last 3 years made provider choices based on the following criteria, by percentage:

   • 41 percent – Exam Thoroughness
   • 39 percent – Friendly/Caring Attitude
   • 36 percent – Ability to Answer Questions
   • 33 percent – Encouraging Patient Involvement in Decision-Making

   Nothing hurts your organization’s image more than a problematic provider.  Those without basic people skills or superior clinical skills will skew the way you are viewed in the eyes of the public.  To attract the right people, you may need to spend more on salaries and benefits.  In the long run, that investment will pay serious dividends.

3. Sweep the Kitchen!  Hospital food is notoriously poor, bland and unpleasing.  I recommend flying in French chefs . . . wait . . . scratch that.  You may not need sweeping changes in the kitchen, but you do need to seriously consider making at least some improvements in this area if you are receiving consistent negative feedback.  A happy stomach makes for a happier patient!  Remember also that quality should be present in all you do—that includes providing quality food.  It truly can feed into the patient’s perception of your facility, generally.
4. Enhance your Physical and Virtual Appearance.  The look of your physical plant says something about you to the outside world.  Where improvements can be made, they may be well worth the cost.  If you build it, they will come.  If you renovate it, they will at least give it a second chance.

   That goes for your organization’s website, as well.  Make sure it projects confidence, competence and kindness.  Most importantly, it should be user friendly.  I was on a site recently and was pleasantly surprised to see an immediate invitation to chat live via an instant messaging dialog box.  The exchange provided quick and helpful information, and saved me from the hassle of wading through the typical automated phone system recording.  You should consider adding this functionality to your website.

   You should also be aware that the appointment-making process is rapidly changing.  In 2018, 84 percent of appointments were scheduled by phone.  This year, that number fell to 47 percent.  People are increasingly going online to schedule their visits.  Is your website robust enough to handle the increased traffic?  Do you have enough staff dedicated to sufficiently monitoring and following up on these online requests?

In the end, the best guidance we can provide is that you simply pore over the reviews, ratings and other feedback you’ve received over the last year and begin to implement change.  Do something.  Begin the process.  Take baby steps if you must, but make progress.  Determine to have a better reputation in the community next year than you had this year.  That’s a sure-fire way to put a big smile on a corporate face.

If you have questions on how we at MiraMed Global Services can assist you in creating better solutions for your healthcare organization, please be sure to contact us at info@miramedgs.com.