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Improving the patient experience: tips for your practice

 

Each year, Aetna® sends a Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS®) survey to gather feedback from members about their overall health care experience, including their experience with their personal doctor.

 

It’s important that members have positive experiences with their providers. Better outcomes lead to healthier, happier patients.

 

Tips for how to improve the patient experience

 

Encourage open communication

Tips

Benefits

Use receptive body language (for example, sit down, lean in and maintain face-to-face engagement)

Shows patients you acknowledge that their time is important

Maintain eye contact with the patient and avoid interrupting while the patient is speaking

Shows patients that they are being heard

Use simple, easy-to-understand words, and avoid using medical terminology and abbreviations

Facilitates adherence and better health outcomes

Tips

Use receptive body language (for example, sit down, lean in and maintain face-to-face engagement)

Benefits

Shows patients you acknowledge that their time is important

Tips

Maintain eye contact with the patient and avoid interrupting while the patient is speaking

Benefits

Shows patients that they are being heard

Tips

Use simple, easy-to-understand words, and avoid using medical terminology and abbreviations

Benefits

Facilitates adherence and better health outcomes

 

Offer flexible access to care

Tips

Benefits

Consider offering evening and/or weekend appointments

Better access to care

See patients within 15 minutes of the appointment or arrival time

Patients feel that you spent sufficient time with them

Call patients 24 to 48 hours before their appointments to confirm and remind them about items they will need to bring

Reduces no-shows

Explain after-hours access to the physician on call, Aetna’s after-hours nurse line and when to seek urgent versus emergency care

Reduces ER visits

Tips

Consider offering evening and/or weekend appointments

Benefits

Better access to care

Tips

See patients within 15 minutes of the appointment or arrival time

Benefits

Patients feel that you spent sufficient time with them

Tips

Call patients 24 to 48 hours before their appointments to confirm and remind them about items they will need to bring

Benefits

Reduces no-shows

Tips

Explain after-hours access to the physician on call, Aetna’s after-hours nurse line and when to seek urgent versus emergency care

Benefits

Reduces ER visits

 

Keep the patient informed

Tips

Benefits

Consider providing a preventive health care visit at the same time that you see a member for a sick visit

Addresses patient needs and improves health outcomes

Review the member’s chart for any consults or specialist treatment prior to seeing the patient to help facilitate coordination of care

Shows patients you acknowledge that their time is important

Addresses coordination of care

Review all treatment options with member and/or parents/guardians and allow their input, questions and collaboration

Patients feel sufficient time was spent with them

Facilitates adherence and better health outcomes

Provide handouts, brochures, diagrams and other materials to help members understand diagnostic tests, medications, and prevention

Reduces patient anxiety

Facilitates adherence and better health outcomes

Tips

Consider providing a preventive health care visit at the same time that you see a member for a sick visit

Benefits

Addresses patient needs and improves health outcomes

Tips

Review the member’s chart for any consults or specialist treatment prior to seeing the patient to help facilitate coordination of care

Benefits

Shows patients you acknowledge that their time is important

Addresses coordination of care

Tips

Review all treatment options with member and/or parents/guardians and allow their input, questions and collaboration

Benefits

Patients feel sufficient time was spent with them

Facilitates adherence and better health outcomes

Tips

Provide handouts, brochures, diagrams and other materials to help members understand diagnostic tests, medications, and prevention

Benefits

Reduces patient anxiety

Facilitates adherence and better health outcomes

 

Additional resources for office staff and patients

 

The 24-Hour Nurse Line

 

Our 24-Hour Nurse Line gives members ready access to registered nurses who can answer their questions on a variety of health topics, which can prevent an unneeded trip to the emergency room. Aetna members can reach these nurses 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, via a toll-free phone number. Refer members to their health plan’s customer service department for additional information.

 

Aetna care management

 

The Aetna One® care management program is transforming the health care experience using predictive analytics, personal outreach and local access. We engage members in a more proactive and connected way. Our care management model takes a holistic approach to physical and emotional well-being. Refer members to their health plan’s customer service department for additional information.

 

Our provider portal

 

Our Availity provider portal helps you spend less time on administration so you can focus more on patient care.* You get a one-stop portal to quickly perform the key functions you do every day. If you’re already registered with Availity® for another payer, you’re all set. You can use your existing log-in credentials to get started with Aetna.

 

You can:

 

  • Submit or check claims
  • Submit or check prior authorizations
  • Check patient benefits and eligibility
  • Upload medical records and supporting documentation
  • File disputes and appeals
  • Update your information, including race and ethnicity

 

Cultural competency webinar

 

Good health — and a good doctor–patient relationship — begins with understanding patients' cultural, ethnic, racial and linguistic needs. Watch this short cultural competency video to learn more about cultural competency and the important roles that you and your office staff members play.

 

*Availity is available only to U.S. providers and its territories.

Legal notices

Aetna is the brand name used for products and services provided by one or more of the Aetna group of companies, including Aetna Life Insurance Company and its affiliates (Aetna).

Health benefits and health insurance plans contain exclusions and limitations.

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