How to Improve Services for Dialysis Treatment

Increased rates of obesity and diabetes have led to an epidemic of kidney disease. Outpatient hemodialysis centers have made their way into more communities and are sometimes prominently located in strip malls and shopping centers. Unlike dialysis in hospitals, where patients have an acute need for treatment and little choice in how they get it, dialysis outpatients are also customers of the clinics they choose. To retain customers and get referrals, outpatient dialysis clinics need to offer the best services possible.

Instructions

• 1

  Update your equipment. Although dialysis technology hasn't changed rapidly in recent years, new machines have new features. More important, patients put their faith in updated technology and will have a better opinion of your clinic because of it.

• 2

  Train your staff in customer service. Nurses learn about patient communication in nursing school, but not customer service. In a clinic, patients are also customers, and their needs and desires are important for continued success. Clinical and non-clinical staff need to communicate in a clear, respectful and friendly manner and provide for patients' comfort and personal needs.

• 3

  Offer your staff continuing education. To do the best job possible, nurses and assisting clinicians need the latest knowledge. Also, nurses receive training on dialysis in their nursing educations, but do not leave nursing school as dialysis specialists. If you have nurses who are new to outpatient dialysis care, they will need help to become proficient.

• 4

  Hire clerical staff for scheduling, billing and customer service. Nurses should devote their full attention to patients to deliver the best care. If they are distracted with other duties such as scheduling and answering customer inquiries, service quality will suffer and nurses will become stressed.

• 5

  Create regular schedules whenever possible. Patients and attending nurses do well when they develop a relationship. Patients become more comfortable when they get to know their clinicians and feel less stress. Nurses can better serve patients when they are familiar with their cases, personalities and needs. Consistency in appointment days and times will go a long way to improve patients' experiences.