Fostering a culture of service excellence.

Patients' level of satisfaction with healthcare providers can have profound implications for operational and clinical outcomes. Are your organizational leaders fostering a practice culture of "service excellence"? Has your organization defined what "service excellence" means? Do your employees have a clear understanding of your expectations for service delivery? Medical practice leaders can improve patients' level of satisfaction by adopting and fostering a culture of service excellence in their practice. Strengthening the practice-patient relationship through patient-service initiatives can lead to improved patient perception of care quality and overall satisfaction with their healthcare providers. When patients feel wanted and well cared for by their healthcare providers, they are less likely to be noncompliant and more likely to achieve positive clinical outcomes. Operationally, service-excellence initiatives will have a profound impact on patient retention and new referrals, and possibly a reduction of litigious risks.