Did you know that there’s a strong correlation between increasing age and hearing loss? In fact, of all adults older than 75, 47% experience hearing loss, compared to just 18% of 45-64 year olds.
As you can imagine, as people grow older they begin thinking more and more about maintaining their health and effectiveness. One aspect of this is finding ways to improve their hearing, especially for those who specifically suffer from hearing loss. This makes audiologists essential members of the medical community.
But what qualities are patients looking for in an audiologist? Certainly, there are several qualities you can think of that every medical practitioner should have, but which are the most important to focus on?
To help you answer that question, refer to the following list. From on-site consultations and remote consultations to bedside manner, the following are some examples of things hearing patients look for in a good audiologist.
On-Site Consultation and Remote Assistance
One of the most important roles a medical professional can perform for their patients is simply to be there to answer questions. When someone’s hearing begins to deteriorate, it can quickly become a frightening time for them. As a hearing health care professional, it’s up to you to put their minds at ease. Whether they come to your practice for an on-site consultation or seek remote assistance over the phone, this is one of the most important things to stay on top of to ensure repeat patients.
Effective Time Management Practices
This may not be immediately obvious, but many of your patients are going to value their time very highly, so it’s important that you respect their time as well. Every patient has their own life to live, and it’s not always convenient for them to plan around a clinic’s confusing schedule. While there are only so many things you can do to make scheduling easy for patients, you can at least make sure your scheduling and timekeeping systems are efficient and organized. Avoid letting appointments take longer than they’re scheduled to, and don’t make patients with appointments wait for hours in the lobby when they arrive.
Friendly and Professional Staff
Even if your time management falls short for a couple of days, your patients won’t mind nearly as much as long as you and your staff are polite and apologetic when things go wrong. No matter what kind of business you’re in, the best way to make sure people keep coming to you is to treat them kindly and with respect. This doesn’t mean you can’t occasionally be stern when a patient needs to be shown you mean business. But generally, being gentle and gracious is a major plus for patients, especially those with severe or new conditions.
All the Proper Credentials (and Proof That You Have Them)
Few things set a patient’s mind at ease quite as much as knowing their physician knows what they’re doing. Obviously you wouldn’t have a hearing health care practice if you weren’t certified and licensed to, but is that clear to your patients? Whether it means adding additional information to your outdoor signage or placing an honors plaque on your lobby wall, going the extra mile to remind your patients of your expertise can lead to a subtle, but noticeable, improvement in their experience with you.
An Engaged and Active Online Presence
More and more people are getting online every day, and that number isn’t limited to youngsters with perfect hearing. Nowadays, it’s not uncommon for people in their sixties, seventies, and beyond to be active online. Because of this, you want to make sure your practice is a part of that digital conversation, especially in public online reviews.
High-Quality, High Availability Products
Finally, it’s of critical importance to your hearing healthcare practice that you have the hearing health products your patients need, when they need them. OneSource Hearing can help with that by supplying you with the best products, with pricing and service that work for you. As a hearing health care consultation company and equipment provider, OneSource is there for you so you can be there for your patients.
And there you have it: from on-site consultations to effective time management, these are the most critical qualities patients look for in a great audiologist.
