editor's perspective

Patient Retention

BY JOSEPH T. BARR, OD, MS, EDITOR
SEPTEMBER 1999

Good patient care and the best clinical research calls for patient retention. It amazes me why some patients stay with their practitioner and others don't. I recently spoke with a California practitioner who surveyed his patient database and found that his patients hailed not only from numerous other countries, but also from every North American state except for Rhode Island. (That must be because the practitioners in Rhode Island are so good, not because there are so few people in the state).

Why do patients come from far away to see practitioners? Certainly it's not an issue of convenience or low cost. Oh sure, some patients come back because it's convenient, because of the plan you're in, the cost or the fact that it has become a habit. But more importantly, people come back because of the bond they have with their practitioner and their trust for the office staff, which is developed by having good communication and problem-solving skills. All of these factors leave the patient with a sense of well-being from the quality of care they receive.

Why do some of your local patients stay with you and others don't? The same reasons, to be sure. Plus, a full tool set of skills and products to solve their problems surely helps. We know that many of our new patients don't even know their previous practitioner's names. One way to be sure that this doesn't happen to you is to have your staff use your name repeatedly and to communicate with patients regularly via follow-up phone calls and mail (newsletters, post cards, letters, e-mail).

I was at a clinical research conference once, where a young Irish ophthalmologist researcher reviewed an elaborate process for making sure she measured every patient in a county with the condition she was studying as best she could, and then measured every one again. When she reported 100 percent patient follow-up, the audience erupted in applause. In clinical research, retention better be in the high 90 percent or you're not trying hard enough to please your patients or some of them have died. Another tip for retaining patients is to make sure they know you're up-to-date on the newest technology. Today's patients may have already heard about a new product or procedure from the media, and if you don't talk to them about it intelligently, they may be more likely to look around for a practitioner who will. Remember, it's easier to keep your current patients than it is to get new ones. In practice, this is all too often perceived simply as marketing and self-promotion, unlike clinical research, where it's perceived as a necessity for good science. One hundred percent patient retention is good for your patients, their ocular health, and for your practice.