For patients with long-term or chronic kidney problems, receiving dialysis becomes a way of life for most patients. Dialysis essentially takes on the role of the kidneys by filtering toxins from the bloodstream, so patients who have problems with their kidneys must have dialysis treatment on a regular basis and the dialysis center they visit for treatment becomes like a second home. If you are planning to open a dialysis clinic, you have to keep this in mind to give patients peace of mind during their visits. Here are a few features patients are going to want from a dialysis clinic.
Welcoming Environment
One dialysis treatment can take as long as four hours and may have to be done as many as three times per week. This means that a single patient can spend 12 hours of their week, every week, at the clinic getting treatment. Making sure the environment you provide is as welcoming and comfortable as possible is ever important. You should provide:
- Friendly, personable staff members
- Television, radio, books, magazines, and other time-filling things
- Comfortable seating
- Blankets, pillows, and other things some patients will request
In general, the more comfortable the atmosphere, the more at home patients will feel when they come in for treatment.
Easy Appointments
When dialysis has to be part of a patient's life, rigid appointments can make things challenging and stressful. You need to be able to offer appointment windows instead of exact appointment times. For example, instead of telling a patient they have to be in for treatment specifically at 2 p.m., tell them to come between 2 and 4 p.m. so they have a little wiggle room. While this can be a bit of a challenge to make happen in the scheduling process, it will be much more attractive to patients.
Cleanliness
Cleanliness is going to be one of the most important attributes of any facility that offers medical treatment, and a dialysis center is no different. Patients do appreciate flexibility and friendliness, but not so much that they will overlook a clinic that does not look clean and well-kept. If you have to hire outside cleaning professionals to come in and shine up the place every night after hours, do it because it will put forth the most appealing impression in the eyes of patients. Make sure you follow all procedures to keep your equipment, furniture, and tools as sanitary as possible as well.
To learn more, contact a dialysis clinic like GDP CONSULTING LLC.
