Convince patients you care enough to help

Good collections depend on replacing an adversarial stance with a posture of helpfulness. Convince your patients that “we’re all in this together, and we want to help you satisfy your bill.”

Every little thing you do (or don’t do) affects the impression you create. You can make a difference just by making sure each staff member addresses the patient by name, and more than once, during each conversation.

Whether speaking over the telephone, greeting someone at the front desk, or processing a patient after an office visit, regularly using the name emphasizes interest and direct concern. Here are a few examples:

Whatever the format, repeating the patient’s name is an important part of the process. Every time you do so, you reinforce your personal interest in the patient—and in the patient’s responsibility to pay the bill.

This nugget was adapted from Getting Paid, from Advisory Publications, a division of HCPro, Inc. To order, click here or call our Customer Service Department at 800/650-6787 for more information.

• “Mr. Jones, we look forward to seeing you at nine o’clock on Thursday.”
• “Mr. Jones, will you be paying by cash, check, or credit card?”
• “Thank you, Mr. Jones. We’ll look forward to receiving your payment by next Wednesday.”