Clinic Evaluation
Compliments of Sam Reader
S.G. Reader & Associates, Inc.
Hot water is a beautiful and necessary medium. We cook, bathe, clean, wash, and more. Can you imagine life without it?
Steam, on the other hand, can do all that and much more. It can generate power to move a multi-ton ship or train and provide power for a city.
Not too many years ago, I asked an engineer what the difference was between hot water and steam. He said that in most cases it can be less than one degree away.
Fascinating how one medium can do so much more than another and magically there be less than a one degree difference.
May I submit that there are many doctors who are less than one degree from being more. Achieving more. Accomplishing more. Making more. Helping more!
Just imagine, you spend your entire professional career hitting an invisible wall – always feeling as if you are miles away from truly realizing your ultimate dreams, to find out years later you were off by only one degree?
It has been my experience that many doctors have pursued the flashy and expensive arenas to anxiously (frantically) work around this invisible wall. Ironically, the one degree difference is found in quiet, simple, inexpensive and unassuming opportunities. Case in point: Let’s call him Dr. A from Texas. Dr. A initiated a clinic evaluation. Approximately 30 patients anonymously participated in grading the doctor and clinic. Here is some of the actual feedback from several of his patients.
- “Speaks softly.”
- “Sometimes quiet; never know what he may be thinking in a conversation.”
- “Seems distracted, but a good person.”
- “Maybe I expect too much, but I would like to know more of what the treatment is going
to do for my special problem – otherwise Dr. A is great.”
- “Doesn’t really say if he feels that I’m getting better, worse, or staying the same.”
- “Using medical terms I don’t really know!”
- “It took longer than I expected; I was usually confused on what I owed.”
Many of the quick fix doctors may have blown off this feedback and discount it as a hostile and unstable patient.
Again, the one degree difference comes in quiet, simple, inexpensive and unassuming windows of opportunity. For Dr. A, each comment was packed full of golden nuggets, jewels of opportunity. Internalizing and acting upon this feedback was not easy. As Dr. A worked to hone his social, clarity, and patient commitment skills in the report of finding, he continually battled the fear of rejection. In time, he overcame his paralysis by finally accepting the fact that fear is ever present – yet the patient must take precedence.
In a few months, Dr. A worked his way around the invisible wall of a sleeper clinic and nailed his one degree difference. Although Dr. A received the majority of high scores under “great” and “superb”, he was more interested in the few patients who scored him under fair and good. Much like the Nielson ratings, he believed that the few speak for many.
Enclosed is a sample patient evaluation for doctor and clinic. Feel free to modify to suit your specific situation. It is important that the patient feels anonymous in order to provide uninhibited straight forward feedback. The staff can instruct the patient. No name, fold in half, and drop into the sealed box.
Nail your one degree difference. Enjoy!
CLINIC EVALUATION
We appreciate you taking the time to complete this questionnaire. Here at this office we are constantly striving to improve our quality of service to you, our patients
Please circle the description you feel best represents the Office’s current status.
- I feel the Doctor’s communication skills are:
Poor Fair Good Great Superb
- I feel the Doctor’s sincerity and genuineness is:
Poor Fair Good Great Superb
- I feel the Doctor’s honesty is:
Poor Fair Good Great Superb
- I feel the Doctor’s openness with is:
Poor Fair Good Great Superb
- I feel the Doctor’s empathy is:
Poor Fair Good Great Superb
- I feel the Doctor’s “table side” manner is:
Poor Fair Good Great Superb
- Waiting time for adjustments is:
Poor Fair Good Great Superb
- How are you treated by the front desk assistant?
Poor Fair Good Great Superb
- When calling on the phone, how are you treated by the assistant?
Poor Fair Good Great Superb
- Does the Doctor seem rushed during treatment?
Yes No
- How would you rate the Doctor’s ability to answer questions?
Poor Fair Good Great Superb
- Is the Doctor clear about his treatment recommendations? Do you feel well informed?
Yes No
- Were your finances clearly explained?
Yes No
- Are you aware that most of our new patients come from referrals from our existing patients?
Yes No
- Were you comfortable on your first visit as a new patient?
Yes No
- I feel the associate doctor’s “table side” manner is:
Poor Fair Good Great Superb
- I feel the front desk assistant’s rescheduling of my appointments is:
Poor Fair Good Great Superb
- I feel the payment procedure at the front desk is:
Poor Fair Good Great Superb
- Is there a conflict between what the Doctor says and what he/she does?
Yes No
- When you show progress during treatment, does the doctor encourage you?
Yes No
Please complete the following questions to the best of your feeling. Be specific.
- What do you see as the Doctor’s greatest weakness as he/she relates to you? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
- What do you see as the Doctor’s greatest strength as he/she relates to you? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
- My personal recommendation to the Doctor is? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
- What changes would you like to see regarding:
Parking: ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________
Hours: ____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Accessibility: _______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Other: _____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
We appreciate your time in taking this evaluation. Please leave it at the front desk.
Thank you.
