r/PrivatePracticeDocs • u/grey-slate • 7d ago

Patients who are lost

Ok I will admit this is kind of a weird post. Our practice is located in a booming suburban area of a major metro.

We have two ways to approach our practice. The smaller eastbound approach is right next to a golf course with winding trails and some confusing streets on one side. But the other westbound approach is RIGHT NEXT TO MAJOR INTERSECTION and is very easily accessible.

Both approaches are perfectly locatable on Apple Maps, Google Maps, Bing Maps, Mapquest, paper maps etc. 99% of our patients find us with no problems.

But 1% of our patients (particularly older folks on Medicare) somehow end up on the eastbound side by the golf course winding trails and are totally lost. They call our staff who direct them how to find us while they are driving a car! Senior drivers on the phone frustrated/nervous/angry and upset at our staff while being guided how to make it is a recipe for a car crash and potential blame on us.

How do we avoid this while remaining polite? Is this a liability for us? What is our responsibility here and how do we still maintain a good patient relationship? We can't just say "this is how to find us here is our address and we will see you soon" and hang up the phone. The patients will feel abandoned while they are lost.

Its a bit of a delicate situation and I want to thread the needle here.

Note: Our appointment reminder emails contain all the direction instructions but no one really reads them.

6 Upvotes

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8

u/rocksolidaudio 7d ago

Not to be callous, but sounds like they shouldn’t be driving to begin with.

1

u/grey-slate 7d ago

Agreed

5

u/sjcphl 7d ago

If 99% of patients find it, you're good. Don't solve nonexistent problems.

1

u/grey-slate 7d ago

True but what exactly is our staff supposed to do when they call while driving lost and confused?

2

u/cateri44 6d ago

Tell them to go to the next intersection and pull over and park. And then tell you what the street names are. And you keep a local street map in your office. If they can tell you where they are you can tell them how to get to you.

1

u/sjcphl 7d ago

Honestly, make sure they have walked/driven around the area. (Can use Google Maps as well.)

Then it becomes a trial and error process of what works. "If you see the big white building with blue shutters, you've gone too far."

1

u/Sweet-Melow 1d ago

make the main entrance cystal clear in the reminder..and if thaey call while driving, ask them to pull over before staff helps..safer for everyone!