Image Management for Today’s Healthcare Providers-
Part 3 of 3 – Image management from the patients’ perspective
Picture this, a patient strolls into a facility and is greeted by a healthcare professional outfitted in scrub attire that is color coordinated to complement the practice’s image and even bears the practice logo. On the way to the exam room the patient meets the doctor, resplendent in a fresh, pressed and embroidered lab coat that includes the doctor’s name and credentials. And then, the unthinkable happens. The patient is asked to change into a disposable paper gown and directed to sit and wait on an exam table that is covered with a mock paper sheet!
Patients in paper and doctors/staff in textiles…this occurs all too often and negatively impacts how patients view practice care.
Image-conscious MDs everywhere are looking to address concerns ranging from; increased competition for patients, employee retention and morale, cost savings, and patient satisfaction. Part 3 of this series focuses on the notion that when it comes to image management, practices must consider how patient satisfaction is effected, both positively and negatively, by patient gowns and linen.
Cloth vs. Paper – The results are in!
If you are looking for a way to immediately enhance patient satisfaction and your practice’s image, consider using cloth patient gowns. A recent survey conducted by Harris Interactive found that 3 out of 4 people feel more comfortable in cloth versus paper. This is hardly a surprise. Ask a medical professional what they prefer when they see the doctor and the answer, invariably, is cloth.
Patient comfort and empirical evidence of patients’ preference for cloth gowns notwithstanding, most healthcare providers use paper gowns because they believe that they are less expensive. Generally, this is not the case. More often than not, cloth gown service is less expensive than paper gown ordering, inventorying, consumption, and proper disposal. Comfortable patients and cost savings…hmmm. For more information on patient support for cloth gowns, visit www.PatientsAgainstPaper.com.
Comfort and Cleanliness
While it is cloth gown comfort that drives patient preference and enhances satisfaction, cloth gowns are also thought to be more sanitary than paper gowns. At one extreme, patients receive paper gowns from an open box and on the other extreme, patients receive individually wrapped cloth gowns that are processed with modern techniques that meet or exceed hospital standards.
For the patient that receives a paper gown from the open box in which it was shipped, the perception is lack of comfort and cleanliness. Cloth gowns, provided through a quality, healthcare specific textile service are processed to the highest standards to ensure that they are hygienic, non-allergenic, soft and comfortable.
Summary
When it comes to image management and patient satisfaction nothing reflects poorer on a practice’s image than paper patient gowns. Regardless of whether the staff is professionally attired, when paper gowns are issued to patients, all other image management initiatives are undermined. Given the cost effectiveness and customer preference for cloth gowns, a cloth gown program is arguably the most important aspect of any image management initiative. For the patient, it’s personal!
Nixon Uniform Service & Medical Wear is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer
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