Late last year we began sending out post-visit surveys. These have proven to be both a nice pat on the back for our fabulous staff, and a great forum for feedback. We have noticed a few recurring questions, and thought a blog post addressing them was warranted!
“Why does GROW not provide paper on the exam tables?”
We are also always concerned about best practices with regards to hygiene. Our research determined that table paper does not decrease transmission of germs from patient to patient, but rather the use of anti-infective products on surfaces between visits. We try to focus our time and efforts on the things that really matter!
“I wish there were separate sick and well waiting areas.”
Research shows that while it makes us feel safe to have separate waiting areas, it actually is not effective in preventing the spread of illness. Patients often do not wait in the “correct” area and thus spread or contract germs that cause illness.
To keep germ spreading at a minimum, we disinfect the waiting room throughout each day, we put patients in exam rooms as quickly as possible, and we schedule patients strategically to keep sick patients and well patients separated.
“It was difficult to schedule my child’s appointment. Usually it’s easy. What gives?”
There are a few factors at play here:
- All 5 of our providers work part-time, which means they are not all here every day.
- The more established providers in our practice fill their well check spots sooner, which means they sometimes need to be scheduled months ahead of time.
- Pediatric practices are very seasonal in nature. September through March is our “busy season” as it aligns with the time of year where we see an uptick in illness. Sometimes, despite our best efforts to maintain availability, we have to triage calls and appointments in order of urgency. Luckily, most of the time, we are able to offer our families same day visits.
“What’s the deal with all the forms?”
In an effort to better serve our families, we decided to implement an annual update packet. This update allows us to be certain we have the most up to date information (resulting in more accurate billing practices and improved communication with you), and to share important policy updates. This is the first year we have done something like this, and hope to move toward an electronic version in the future.
“I’m worried you won’t be able to maintain the short wait times and cleanliness as you get bigger.”
We have grown rapidly since we opened 4.5 years ago, starting with just 2 pediatricians and a staff of 5. We believe our short wait times and cleanliness correlate to our staffing, and have been mindful of this as we have grown. We now have 5 providers and a staff of 15!
Please keep the feedback coming!