Consumer-driven health care has been a topic at the forefront of the health care industry for the past few years. As costs have gone up, patients have been taking a more active role in their own health care. Patients are now demanding more from their physicians in order to get the most for their money.

Three common questions the patient may ask are:

• Is this physician accessible when I need a visit?
• Does this physician have a genuine interest in me and my health?
• Does the physician use the latest technology to ensure I am getting the best treatment and information possible?

If the answer to any of these questions is “no”, the patient will most likely search for another physician. Unfortunately, in the world we live in today, being a great physician is no longer enough to retain the modern patient. The Bienville Group can provide your organization with tools to ensure the practice is getting “yes” answers to these questions. The patient satisfaction analysis will help physicians adapt to these issues and ultimately retain more patients.

• Conducting an initial organizational evaluation will measure the ease in appointment scheduling, parking, receiving lab results, and waiting times. This evaluation may involve the use of a mystery medical shopper to report on the entire patient experience, from the first phone call to the actual appointment.
• Evaluating proper medical billing and coding.
• Collecting evidence through employee interviews, policy and procedure documentation, and patient satisfaction surveys.
• Training physicians and staff on new processes.
• Reevaluating new processes to identify and amend any issues.