The value of outstanding patient care

1. The Value of
Outstanding Care
The biggest communication problem is we do not listen to understand.
We listen to reply.

2. PEOPLE WHO WROTE DOWN
THEIR GOALS WERE 42% MORE
LIKELY TO ACHIEVE THEM THAN
THE ONES THAT DIDN’T.
TELLING A FRIEND INCREASES
THIS RATE TO 78%
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO TAKE
NOTES DURING THIS TRAINING.
IT’S ENCOURAGED!

3. WHAT IS OUTSTANDING
PATIENT SERVICE?
• Let’s look at the difference between Good, Poor, and
Outstanding Service to help us understand what this is.
• Good Patient Service: This occurs when a Patient’s
Expectations are met.
• If the Patient expects you to be friendly, and you treat them
with respect and courtesy, their expectations are met.The
challenge with ‘good’ Patient service is that it is:
• NOTVERY MEMORABLE

4. FOR EXAMPLE:
• If you walk into a Room and turn on the lights, you probably won’t
give it a second thought.
• You would notice though - if the lights did NOT come on.You
would recollect how the customoer service agents handled a power
outage - but ONLY if the service was exceptional or terrible.
• ...And that brings us to poor patient service.

5. HOW DO YOU DIFFERENTIATE WHAT SERVICE IS?
• Who can remember a time where they received poor Patient
service? How did it make you feel?
• Who can remember a time where they received good Patient
service?
• How about Outstanding Patient Service?
• How do you Define Outstanding Patient Service?
• How canWE provide outstanding Patient service? What can we do to
make our Facility an amazing experience for patients?

6. How can you
offer
Outstanding
Patient
Service??
● Treat each person like they are an Individual.
○ Try to understand how each person would like to be served.
● Think of the 4 Universal Ways we connect with other
people: Each person has more than one way in which
they feel like they are appreciated.
○ Words of Encouragement: For some people hearing words of
praise are what they value the most.
○ QualityTime: Being the focus of your undivided attention leaves
them feeling satisfied and comforted more than words.
○ Receiving aThoughtful Gift: Giving the patient something that
is meaningful to them. Refer to Ethical training on gift giving.
○ Acts of Service: Hearing the phrase - Let me do that for you
can be music to someone’s ears.
There is a 5th way of connection that involves physical touch.We ask
that although this is a very important part of human connection,
physical touch with patients should be limited to a pat on the back.

7. Identifying the Needs of Patients...
What are some scenarios that come up on a daily basis with Patients?
How can we look into that scenario further to identify a patient’s needs.
Once you have identified a need - Look for an opportunity to exceed that expectation!!
For instance: A patient comes to you exasperated, because they’ve been waiting for 2
hours to take a shower - all because they don’t have a towel.
What is the patient's need?
How could you exceed their expectation in this scenario?

8. What can you gain from a small amount
of Extra Effort?
Think about a time in your career where you have gone above
and beyond for a person?
What did you gain from that extra effort?
● Recognition from a patient, colleague, or supervisor
● You fixed a small problem that could have turned into a
bigger problem
● You were so proud of what you had done - that you told
your friends/family
● You earned the respect and trust of your co-workers
Great service brings positive energy to the entire team.
Everyone benefits from Patients being happy, and every team
benefits knowing that they can count on each other.

9. What Challenges do you face in your
day?
Angry Patients!!
Difficult Coworkers!!
ATough Supervisor!!
Communication Issues!!
Personal Problems!!!
We all face different issues everyday - In order for us
to overcome these daily challenges - we must create a
Patient ServiceVision.
THINGSTURN OUT BEST FOR PEOPLEWHO
MAKE THE BEST OUT OF THEWAYTHINGSTURN
OUT.

10. Our Patient ServiceVision
Let’s discuss the following three questions…
Why does our organization exist?
How do I personally contribute to this organization’s success?
How do you want our patients to feel about the service we
provide?
Take a moment to write down some of your favorite job duties?
Least favorite… ?
Why?

11. Overview:
The BEST universal definition of Outstanding Patient service is:
Service that exceeds our patient’s expectations!!
People go ABOVE and BEYOND because:
They get something out of it!
Which is the best example of seeing service through the eyes of the patient…
● Taking a few extra minutes to make sure that you solve all potential problems for the patient.
● Referring to the patient to a manager
● Saving time by solving the problem that the patient is asking about rather than passing the patient off to
someone else immediately. Aka “blowing the patient off”

12. Building Rapport with Patients
What is it that people do to make you feel welcome?
What steps do they take to build a positive relationship with you?
What are some ways that you build rapport with patients?
Here are some examples:
● Initiate contact with the patients - don’t wait for them to come to you.
● Introduce yourself, tell them your name and something about yourself.
● Find something in common with the patient.
● Letting the patient know that you are focused on them as an
INDIVIDUAL.
● Focus on one patient at a time.

13. Building
Rapport with
Patients
We all know that working in a treatment facility can get hectic -
even so - try to be fully present, so that patients don’t feel ignored
or passed over.
A GREAT way to show a patient you care is by following up with
them after you’ve provided a service or completed a request.
What patient building techniques areYOU good at?
Write down 3 solid questions you could use to build rapport with
the patient.
Good rapport-building questions will have one or more of these
characteristics:
It will get patients to talk about themselves
It will uncover additional opportunities to serve
It will fill dead air so that patients won’t feel that they are waiting
long for something

14. Make a Commitment to try something
new!
What techniques
have you not used
to build rapport
and why?
What new
techniques would
you like to try?
Go ahead, write
them down.

15. Likeability
There are specific that you can use to appeal to a wide range of people!
Body Language
Tone ofYourVoice
Eye Contact
The ten and five rule…
Imagine a small circle around you - any patient approaching ten feet of
that circle you should give them a non-verbal greeting, like a wave or a
smile.Any patient approaching five feet, you should give them a verbal
greeting - like Good Morning or How are you doing today?

16. Conversational
Rapport
Some people are natural conversationalists - and some
are not. If you find yourself fumbling to try and strike
up a conversation with a patient - prepare yourself
beforehand
Make a list of 5 questions that you can use to break the
ice.The BEST questions help you to learn more about
the patient and their needs/preferences.
What could some of the needs or preferences of our
patients be?
How can we be prepared to respond to those needs
or preferences?

17. Practice, Practice, Practice
The best way to work on your skills is whenYOU are
a customer!The next time you are shopping or
running errands - think of it as a Skill BuildingWorkout.
Here are three exercises you can practice…
1. MAKINGTHE FIRST MOVE
The next time you walk into a restaurant or store -
greet the employee in a warm and friendly manner. See
what their reaction is. Did your enthusiasm jolt them
into giving you better service?

18. Practice, Practice, Practice
2. INTRODUCEYOURSELF
Did you ever notice that Patients don’t normally give their name in
return when an employee introduces themselves. See if this trick
improves the service your receive.
3.ASKTHE EXPERT
Most people get more comfortable when they talk about subjects
they know well.When you are a Patient - ask the employee helping
you for their expert advice. For instance - if you go to an open
restaurant - lean into the kitchen and ask the Chef or Sous Chef -
what they recommend you order.The server only tries a few
things on the menu, or will always try to upsell you.The Chef will
tell you what is the best!

19. EXCEEDING
EXPECTATIONS!
Patients will have two types of Needs:
Rational Needs and Emotional Needs
A Rational Need is when the patient is asking for something specific.
A new pillow, a softer bed, a duffel bag for their clothes. Rational
needs can sometimes be easily taken care of before you have to deal
with an Emotional Need!
When the patient has an Emotional Need, you job gets harder.
Usually by addressing and acknowledging the patient - you can avoid
an Emotional Need. But sometimes it is unavoidable.
So we are going to learn how to deal with Emotional Needs.

20. Emotional Needs
An Emotional Need is how the patient wants to feel about the service
they receive.
When a patient experiences a service failure or just has negative
emotions - you will have to deal with both their Rational and their
Emotional need.
Emotional Needs require that you validate the patient and empathize with
them.We cannot judge our patients for their Emotional Needs.
Maybe they haven’t slept well in weeks
Maybe the years that they have spent numbing their pain is surfacing
Maybe they just lost someone close to them
More than likely, our patients have hit rock bottom have come pretty close to it.

21. How can we
be better at
dealing with
needs?
Most of us are not very good at describing exactly
what we need.And in our day to day it may seem like
the patients are rambling on about what they need.
Understanding our patient’s requires our full attention.
And this is hard.To stay focused on one person with all
the activity that’s going on around us - is downright
challenging!
Ask CLEAR questions to the patient
Try and Identify the Patient’s unspoken needs
One exercise you can do this week is to try and
identify or anticipate as many unspoken Patient needs
as you can.

22. This means
we have to be
Outstanding
Listeners too!
It is natural to want to multitask when we have a lot of work to do,
but let’s face it -
WE ARE JUST NOT GOOD AT IT!
So how can we be better listeners?
● Face the person you are speaking with
● Concentrate on what that person is saying, and their body
language
● Tune out outside distractions and interruptions
● If your phone rings, or you need to attend to something
immediately - Apologize to the person. Remind them that
what they are saying is important, and you are quickly going
to let the person calling you know that you are in the middle
of something and will be back with them when you are done.
This will let the patient know that what they are saying is
important to you.

23. Complaining about a
problem without
proposing a solution is
called whining.
-Theodore Roosevelt

24. Problem Solving!
How can we best deal with a patient's Emotional
and Rational needs?
Taking personal responsibility for solving a patient’s
problem, and using your skills and abilities - actually
allow you to become more effective problem
solvers.
No joke - it will strengthen your brain and increase
it’s capacity to solve even bigger problems!!
Here are some great tips on Problem Solving...

25. PrObLeM SoLvInG sKiLls
1. First and foremost - Understand the problem.This is a vital step. If you
don’t understand the problem clearly, your solutions will likely fail.Try
and restate the problem in your own words back to the patient after
they explain it to you.
2. Focus on the solution, not the problem - Neuroscientists have proven
that your brain cannot find solutions if you focus on the problem.
3. Have an Open Mind -Try and entertain all possible solutions to the
problem.
4. View Problems Neutrally - don’t get caught up negative thinking -
approach the problem without judgment.
5. Think Laterally -You cannot dig a hole in a different place by digging it
deeper.
6. Use Language that creates possibility - Avoid closed, negative language
like ‘what if!’

26. Let’s think of some scenarios where
problems arise...
Most of the people that come to us are in trouble.Whether it be with
their family, their finances, their job, or the law - there are always looming
issues in the back of their mind.
Not to mention - the one thing that has been keeping them numb all
these years or months is gone.
Our patients are going to need to know that we can relate to them,
understand them, and empathize with their needs - whether it be
Rational or Emotional.
Problems will arise daily - and you are the first people they will come to.
So what is the best way to handle all these different personalities and
their problems???

27. The ANGRY patient
This person is already agitated.They are most likely anxious and feel like they have no say or control in
their life right now.
Let’s discuss an experience that someone has had with an angry patient.What happened?
How did you handle it?
The best way to deal with an Angry patient is to start by letting them vent, and practicing our listening
skills. Once they feel like they’ve been heard - try refocusing them on finding a solution, and reassuring
them that you will help them to find a resolution.

28. TheAnnoyed
or Confused
patient
This patient is not necessarily angry, but could
become angry depending on how the situation is
handled. I’m sure we all have a story we could share
about how it went one way or the other.
The best way to handle this patient is to take a
moment to figure out what their spoken and
unspoken needs are.The key is to make the patient
feel confident that they are heard and that their
issue is being handled by you.

29. The Positive Patient… :)
The Upbeat Patient -
This patient is neither angry nor annoyed.They more than likely are
only looking for a basic or rational need to be filled.
This doesn’t mean we can ignore them - in fact - this patient will be
the most appreciative if you can address their issue by going above and
beyond.
Dealing with the positive patient is an easy win.
Most of the time, the positive patient doesn’t want to hear apologies
or excuses - they want you to share their upbeat attitude with them
while you help them with their issue.

30. The Long and
Short of it
Each of these different patients and their Rational and
Emotional needs - show us that everyone experiences different
emotions in similar situations.
Each patient with a need is an opportunity for us to get to
know them.
If you can IDENTIFY their need and adapt your approach to
their specific Rational or Emotional situation, you will have
much better success in delivering
OUTSTANDING SERVICE!!!

31. Managing Patient’s Expectations
NEW PATIENTS/FIRSTTIME ADMISSIONS
These are patients who have experienced our Facility.Their expectations
are going to be based on their past experiences with other Detox and
Treatment facilities.
For New Patients:
Taking the time to explain the ropes to them, and let them know what to
expect upfront will go a long way.
Explain the basics, the processes, and how exactly their day and their
experience will look like.
Explain the timeframe of what they should expect. Don’t give the patient
an opportunity to start feeling ANXIOUS!

32. It takes 20 years to build a
reputation and five minutes
to ruin it.If you think about
that,you will do things
differently.
-Warren Buffett

33. MANAGING
PATIENT’S
EXPECTATIONS
Responsiveness:
Let’s say a patient asks for something that requires you to
ask your Supervisor about, perhaps because you don’t have
the answer, or access to what they are requesting.
• Your response to the patient would be - ??
• If you said “I’ll get back to you right away”
• Your answer is WRONG! Let’s think about why…
Their timeframe for a response may be immediate, and
yours may be one day. It’s best to specify exactly how long
the patient can expect a response. Clear communication
will help them to become disappointed when their
expectations don’t match the service you are able to
provide.

34. THE EXTRA MILE MINDSET
• Know how to identify opportunities to go the extra mile
• Proactively looking for chances to exceed someone’s expectations
• Make sure that our patients recognize our efforts
• Use your Problem Solving Skills - think of Solutions!
• Understand that ultimately the patient decides whether or not we went the
extra mile
• You can also adopt - a once a day exercise to pick a person and make their day.
• Every day look for one opportunity to go above and beyond to make a lasting
impression
• Patients will be always looking for three things from your service:
FAST, FRIENDLY, & KNOWLEDGEABLE

35. EXTRA MILE
MINDSET
THINK OF YOUR
TYPICAL DAY.
IT’S GOING TO BE
HARD TO STOP AND
PRACTICE THIS.
SO LET’S THINK OF
SOME WAYS WE CAN
DELAY SOMEONE’S
EXPECTATIONS.
FAST:
ONE WAY TO MAKE
PATIENTS FEEL LIKE
OUR SERVICE IS FAST
IS TO KEEP THEM
ENGAGED. THINK
OF A DOCTOR’S
OFFICE, FILLED WITH
MAGAZINES,
TELEVISIONS, AND
FREE COFFEE.
FRIENDLY:
BEING FRIENDLY
JUST ISN’T ENOUGH.
POINT OUT TO THE
PATIENT WHAT
YOU ARE DOING
FOR THEM. FOR
INSTANCE, IF THEY
NEED A TOWEL
BECAUSE THEY
WANT TO SHOWER.
BRING SOAP, AND
EXTRA LOOFAH,
AND SAY TO THEM
EXACTLY WHAT
YOU ARE DOING -
HERE’S YOU TOWEL,
I ALSO THOUGHT
YOU MIGHT ENJOY
SOME OF THIS
CONDITIONER, OR
ANOTHER BOTTLE
OF SHAVING CREAM.
KNOWLEDGEABLE:
WE KNOW THAT THE
KISS OF DEATH IN
ANY PATIENT SERVICE
SITUATION IS TO SAY
“I DON’T KNOW” TO
A PATIENT. PATIENTS
WANT FOR US TO BE
EDUCATED IN WHAT
WE DO, BUT MORESO
THEY WANT TO BE
EDUCATED AS WELL.
GO THE EXTRA MILE
AND SURPRISE THE
PATIENT - EDUCATE
THEM ABOUT
SOMETHING THAT
THEY MAY NOT
KNOW.
WHAT
EXPECTATIONS
ARE SPECIFIC TO
OUR PATIENTS?

36. If you don’t have the time to
do it right, when will you
have the time to do it over?
- Coach JohnWooden

37. MEASURING YOUR SUCCESS
We can never assume that our patients are happy, or that things are going well.
We have to constantly investigate.We have to constantly pay attention.
Seizing the opportunity to ask questions, interact with patients, and observe your surroundings could help
you turn a possibly negative experience into a positive one.
We want to know if patients are complaining, especially continuously about the same thing.
We want you to tell us where are pain points are.
What do you feel is the best way to communicate this?

38. ACHIEVING
TOGETHER
Supervisors and Managers should provide support, guidance,
and clear direction to their team to help them succeed in
their job. Employees must be an effective part of the team as
they deal with patients on a daily basis.
We will all encounter situations where we don’t know what
to do. Supervisors and Staff should have a collaborative
relationship where the staff member feels like they can go to
their supervisor for anything.
Supervisors:
• Help your staff prioritize their work!
• Pitch in and always lead by example.
• Make sure to let everyone know when a staff member
does something that deserves recognition.
Staff:
• Let your manager know exactly what help you need to be
successful!
• Identify problems and find solutions to bring to your
Supervisor, collaborate with your colleagues.
• Speak up - if you feel that something should change in your
location or department - you may be right.