Neil H. Baum, MD, presented “Leaving a Lasting Impression on Your Patients” for the Grand Rounds in Urology audience in December 2021.
How to cite: Baum, Neil H. “Leaving a Lasting Impression on Your Patients.” December 2021. Accessed Jul 2024. https://grandroundsinurology.com/leaving-a-lasting-impression-on-your-patients/
Leaving a Lasting Impression on Your Patients – Summary
Grand Rounds in Urology Contributing Editor Neil H. Baum, MD, Professor of Urology at Tulane Medical School, gives tips on how urologists can leave a positive lasting impression on their patients. He explains that making a favorable last impression is important since it encourages patients to share their experience. Dr. Baum then gives some suggestions on how a urologist can leave a positive impression, including calling key patients at home to answer any lingering questions patients may have and to remind them of future appointments or procedures. He defines key patients as those who have been recently discharged, those who have recently had an outpatient procedure, those who have received a negative result from recent diagnostics, or new patients. Dr. Baum notes that the doctor should ideally be the one to call the patient and provides some suggestions for scheduling calls and alerting patients ahead of time that the doctor will be calling in order to avoid playing phone tag. He lists the advantages of calling, explaining that it continues the connection between the patient and the practice, reduces the number of calls from patients, improves a practice’s online reputation, and creates “raving fans.” Dr. Baum concludes that last impressions are just as important as first impressions for a practice’s reputation.
For more commentary on practice management from Dr. Baum, visit his Improving Your Urology Practice page.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neil H. Baum, MD, is a Clinical Professor of Urology at Tulane Medical School in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is also a retired urologic surgeon. Additionally, Dr. Baum serves as the Medical Advisor to Vanguard Communications Group. Dr. Baum is the author of Marketing Your Clinical Practice - Ethically, Effectively, and Economically, which is in its 4th edition, has sold over 175,000 copies, and has been translated into Spanish. He also wrote The Complete Business Guide to a Successful Medical Practice, which was published in 2015. Dr. Baum was the columnist for American Medical News for more than 25 years. Dr. Baum also wrote the popular column, “The Bottom Line,” for Urology Times for more than 20 years. He is a requested speaker each year to the Practice Management Seminar for the American Urological Association (AUA), where he discusses techniques for making urology practices more efficient and more productive. He has written more than 9 books on practice management and over 250 peer-reviewed articles on various urologic topics. Dr. Baum is also the medical advisor to Vanguard Communications Group.
