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Optimizing the Patient for Surgery: The Pre-op Psychological Survey

 

A read-worthy article, recently published in OR Management News.

 

It is obvious that optimizing the patient prior to surgery is essential for maximizing desirable outcomes. While these efforts typically focus on managing comorbidities and assessing physiologic parameters, “comprehensive” optimization is achieved by including attention to the psychological status of the surgical patient.

With evolving specialization in surgery and increasing sophistication of procedures, psychological evaluations have become integral in the evaluation of patients for certain operations, such as bariatric, transplant and pain-related orthopedic surgeries.

The benefits of psychological “preparation” of surgical patients has been proposed as an important consideration.

Less developed, in contrast to specialized psychological evaluations, is a simple and broad approach to assessing every patient’s psychological state in a manner appropriate for use by the surgeon involved in the case. Psychological preparation of the patient requires a first step of evaluation through a preoperative psychological survey (POPS).

 

Read the full article at:  Optimizing the Patient for Surgery: The Pre-op Psychological Survey – OR Management News

What Patients Want in 2021

 

 

This recent US study reveals the latest patient preferences and habits related to choosing a provider, receiving care, and communicating with a practice.

 

Key findings from the survey report include:

  • Most patients look online to find healthcare providers. Three of four people have searched online to find out about a doctor, a dentist, or medical care. Sixty-one percent do so either sometimes or often.
  • Reviews are the most influential online resource for patients. When choosing a healthcare provider, 74 percent of patients find positive online reviews very or extremely important. Sixty-nine percent say they will not consider a healthcare provider with an average star rating lower than 4.0 out of 5.
  • More than half of patients prefer a digital connection for five key interactions with practices. At least 51 percent of patients favor digital interactions when scheduling an appointment, filling out forms, asking a provider a question, paying a bill, and accessing health records.
  • Patients prefer text messaging for appointment communications. Two-thirds of patients prefer text messages when receiving medical appointment reminders. Also, 59 percent would like text message reminders to book their next appointment.  
  • There has been a notable level of patient attrition at practices. More than one-third of patients say they have left a healthcare provider in the past two years. Eight of 10 say they did so because of a poor in-person experience, and/or lack of access and communication with their provider.

Read the complete study report: 2021 Patient Perspective Survey Report | PatientPop

EXCLUSIVE OFFER FOR ROAR 2.0 ATTENDEES

 

We’re looking forward to ROAR 2.0 Sydney, where we’ll be presenting the findings from a research study of Australian consumer experiences and attitudes regarding hair loss and available treatments.

 

https://www.facebook.com/VenusConceptAU/

 

To coincide with the event, we have a special offer, exclusively for ROAR 2.0 attendees:

 

Free establishment/set up of any new Patient Experience Feedback program for your clinic. This covers:

  • Survey questionnaire design.
  • Graphic design / logo and image insertion.
  • Upload to our secure online host server.

(A total saving of $660)

 

If you’ve been thinking about using client feedback to optimise your clinic’s patient experience, this would be a great opportunity to kick it off.

The offer is limited to attendees of the ROAR 2.0 events in Melbourne, Sydney and Gold Coast and expires on 30th August, 2021.

 

Please quote promo code: ROAR 2.0

 

 

 

Is patient loyalty enough?

Loyalty

An excellent article, recently published in Aesthetic Medical Practitioner Magazine.

 

“Today’s level of professional competition has never been seen before in the aesthetic market. Consumers are more discerning than ever before, and relying on patient loyalty is no longer enough to keep your practice successful. By taking time to understand consumer motivations, having the right staff on board, demanding professional excellence and investing in ongoing education, you can create a patient-centric practice that will both attract and retain patients.”

 

The solution to such a challenging outlook? Create a patient-centric practice and continually ask yourself the question: “What can I do for the patient?”

 

We couldn’t agree more.

 

Read the entire article at:

https://aestheticmedicalpractitioner.com.au/features/cosmetic-practice/is-patient-loyalty-enough/

 

IPSS Offering Free Business Assistance During COVID-19 Crisis

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Announcement – April 6th, 2020

 

Due to the extraordinary economic circumstances arising from the COVID-19 crisis, Insight will be offering advisory services on a complimentary basis. This offer is available to:

  • Medical Clinics.
  • Professional Associations & Organisations.
  • Medical Device and Supply Providers.

We will be working with our current clients, as well as any other Australian clinics and organisations who have been affected by social distancing and shut down measures.

Services that will be offered without fee include:

  • Customer/Patient Experience Programs.
  • Association Membership Feedback.
  • Consumer & Market Research Projects.

 

Many market research providers are reporting higher than usual response rates to their consumer and B2B surveys, as more people are working from home and are less time-constrained.

 

We recognise that many businesses would currently be experiencing difficulties with financial and manpower resources. Our aim is to assist organisations who may require such services now and with planning and preparing their eventual return to normal trading conditions.

This complimentary business assistance program is available now, will continue for a minimum period of three months and may be extended further, should circumstances require.

 

For further information, contact:

Mr Kerry Bielik

Ph: 0414.365865

Email: info@insightpss.com.au

SOCIAL MEDIA REVIEW OF MEDICAL PRACTICE: DEFAMATION SUIT

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The Australian legal system is slowly catching up with issues caused by reviews of personal experiences with businesses on social media sites.

One of the myriad of challenges created by this rapidly growing trend is the ability for users to make statements either anonymously or under a pseudonym. In some cases the claims may be demonstrably false or misleading or downright defamatory. Business proprietors have faced great difficulties in getting assistance from the review sites to investigate the source of the reviews. Even when evidence has been provided that a claim is fallacious, getting it removed can be a long and arduous process. In some instances business owners have incurred substantial legal costs and loss of income, not to mention emotional stress.

Things appear to be changing, as indicated by the case of a Melbourne dentist who has been given permission by the Federal Court to serve Google to attempt to find out the personal details of an anonymous account that left a bad review about his practice.

As reported in The Guardian:

Federal court justice Bernard Murphy gave leave to seek from Google a document that would contain the account’s subscriber information, name of users, the IP addresses that logged into the account, phone numbers, other metadata and other Google accounts that might have used the same IP address at a similar time as the review was left.

It is the latest in an increasing number of defamation cases brought against Google and other online reviewer sites, which have been reluctant to remove bad reviews.

Google has argued that defamation threats can be used to suppress information that might help customers steer clear of bad businesses, and that it should only remove reviews with a court order.

It followed a judgment in the South Australian Supreme Court last week awarding $750,000 in damages to Adelaide barrister Gordon Cheng for an October 2018 review left in English and Chinese on Google, claiming Cheng gave “false and misleading advices”.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/feb/14/court-says-melbourne-dentist-can-serve-google-for-user-details-over-bad-review

 

 

How Can Clinicians Teach, Learn Provider Empathy, Compassion?

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Grounding provider empathy training in genuine feedback will help drive compassionate care.

 

In healthcare, it might be time to reconsider how to think about empathy. As more industry experts underscore the importance of compassionate care, developing new ways to train, and therefore look at, provider empathy will be key.

 

Data shows that empathy and compassion are two of the leading factors patients consider when evaluating their doctors.

A 2018 survey from HealthTap showed that 85 percent of patients value compassion in healthcare when ranking their doctors. Just as many value quality care and provider expertise.

Providers who deliver compassionate, patient-centered care tend to see better relationships with their patients, better adherence to treatments, and better outcomes. And even when outcomes suffer due to medical error or factors outside the provider’s control, empathy can go a long way in improving a patient’s perception of care.

 

Read more of this  incisive article by Sara Heath at:

https://patientengagementhit.com/news/how-can-clinicians-teach-learn-provider-empathy-compassion

 

 

 

Medical Services Consumers – What Matters Most to them?

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I had the opportunity to deliver a presentation at #Cosmedicon2019 in the “Business of Beauty” workshop.

 

The paper discusses what defines “The Patient Experience” and looks at data from a recent international survey by the Beryl Institute:

“Consumer Perspectives on Patient Experience”.

 

To get the ball rolling, I posed three questions to the audience:

  •  Has the business of Aesthetic Medicine become more competitive over the past 5 years?
  • Do you expect it to become even more competitive in the next 5 years?
  • How do you propose to maintain a competitive advantage in an increasingly competitive business environment?

 

For a copy of the presentation, please email me at:

info@insightpss.com.au

 

 

Advice for Doctors…from a Patient

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We just had to share this.

A reminder of how it feels to be a patient, reliant on the empathy and patience of their doctor.

 

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What Aesthetic Procedures and Treatments are Trending Right Now?

 

RealSelf is a leading online marketplace for consumers to research cosmetic treatments and physicians. The RealSelf 2018 Aesthetics Trend Report was compiled by analysing user behaviour trends from U.S. consumers researching on RealSelf during 2018.

 

Trend Overview.

“While we continue to see high interest for surgical procedures, advancements in technology have expanded minimally invasive treatment options and helped to make aesthetics more accessible to women and men of all ages.” “The growth of minimally invasive procedures reflects the rising interest in treatment options that deliver results with little downtime, and the trends we’ve observed on RealSelf indicate this demand will continue to rise in 2019.”

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Top Ten most reaserched

 

Key Findings:

Most Researched Minimally Invasive Treatments: Interest in Injectables Remains High

Injectables continue to be a top trend and were some of the most researched treatments in 2018, with three out of the top 10 most researched minimally invasive procedures being injectables.

Most Researched Surgical Treatments: Procedures for the Breasts, Tummy Top the List

Interest in surgical treatments for the breasts, from augmentation to lifts to reduction, remained high in 2018. While breast augmentation leads the top 10 list, breast reduction is also popular, coming in at No.7. Mommy makeover follows at No. 8, and breast lift rounds out the list at No. 10.

On the Rise: Treatments Designed to Improve Skin

Treatments that improve skin conditions—from acne to scars to discoloration—saw rapid interest growth in 2018, taking five spots on the top 10 list of fastest-growing minimally invasive treatments.

 

Hair Growth Treatments Trending Up

A growing number of consumers are researching hair restoration, with two treatments making the top 10 list of fastest-growing minimally invasive treatments. PRP for Hair Loss takes the No. 4 spot with 20 percent growth compared to 2017.

 

Interest in Niche Surgical Procedures for the Face, Ears Increasing

Topping the surgical list with the highest year-over-year growth is thread lift, which saw a 42 percent jump in interest compared to 2017.

 

The 2019 Aesthetics Watch List

 The Year of the Toxins

According to RealSelf, interest in Botox is increasing the fastest among 18- to 24-year-old RealSelf users. While Botox is the frontrunner today, up-and-coming entrants from companies like Revance and Evolus could bring increased competition to the neuromodulator market.

Less Invasive Alternatives to Traditional Procedures

This year saw sizable spikes in interest for nonsurgical treatments that offer a less invasive alternative to traditional surgery. The body contouring treatment Emsculpt, which ranked among the top emerging treatments of 2018, is one example.

Another is the off-label use of fillers. Sculptra Aesthetic, which saw 31 percent interest growth last year, is FDA-approved to treat facial wrinkles, but a growing number of doctors are using the injectable for buttock augmentation.

Expanded Conversations About Modern Beauty

Celebrities and other influencers have helped elevate the conversation and reduce the stigma around cosmetic procedures by sharing their treatment experiences on social media. As advancements in technology help make aesthetics accessible to a wider audience, more people have the ability to choose procedures that support their individuality and personal definition of beauty.