How to help your patients on their health journey

Last week, we reviewed your journey as an entrepreneur, a doctor, and a support professional.

But what about your patient? What about their journey?

Are they making it all the way to better health, or do they leave after their symptoms subside?

Generally, most offices look at a patient’s journey, or pathway, covering three phases of care: Acute, Corrective, and Maintenance. I have seen other variations, but they are all similar.

The idea is that as patients make regular visits, they progress through their phases of care.

Patient Visits (for example):

I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I

Acute ————> Corrective ———————————> Wellness

How to Improve Patient Retention?

First, it is NOT about improving retention. That is secondary. It IS about helping the patient achieve their health goals by getting through their Phases of Care and into Wellness/Maintenance.

1. Make a list of key procedures for each visit.
   1. Break down what happens on each day, by each team member. Who does what?
   2. Make a list of key procedures done on Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, etc. Progress exam on Day 12? Good Patient Award after visit 12? Patient education on Day 8 and 14? Great Patient Award after visit 24? (You can download a sample. Link at end of article.)
2. Practice – rehearse — these steps with your team.

Practicing Your Patient’s Journey

Below are simple steps for a fun team-building and practice improving drill. It WILL improve retention as a byproduct of helping your patient better achieve their health goals.

1. Schedule extra time over lunch. Get your team together.
2. You, or someone you delegate, act as the patient. (This is something I often do when I visit offices.)
3. Each staff member, and the doctor, goes through their procedures for each day.
   1. On Day 1, for example, how did the Front Desk greet the patient and what did they say?
   2. How were they routed to the consultation room?
   3. What did the doctor say?
   4. Who did what for the rest of the exam and x-ray? Review it
   5. How were they routed back to the front desk, and how was the next appointment made?
   6. Day 2. – Same step by step. Practice it and then discuss it.

What you are looking for is:

1. Procedures
   1. Were any procedures dropped out?
   2. Missing procedures.
   3. Redundant procedures.
   4. Unnecessary procedures.
2. Application of procedures.
   1. Was the team member genuinely interested in the patient
   2. How well were the procedures communicated — with kindness, intention, and patience?
   3. Were the procedures correct – nothing left out, nothing extra included, everything correct?

The best teams practice.

Do this exercise at least once per quarter and be the best… and help your patients be heroes on their journey to their health goals.

And, of course, stay Goal Driven.

Ed

Download: Sample Patient Pathway and Flow Chart 2026