Many practices feel like putting together Medical Practice Binder can be a waste of time, however it allows you the chance to be more prepared and offer better patient care.

What do your patients do while sitting in the reception area? For most clinics, they are usually on Facebook or their phones, or staring at the daytime TV on the wall.

If you want to add more patient engagement to the experience in your clinic, you might consider adding a practice binder.

Although patients will ideally spend minimal time in your reception area, having an attractive, professional practice binder can offer them something useful to learn, and can do a great deal to grow engagement and trust in a brief time.

Here are 6 essential items to include in your medical practice binder:

1) General Welcome: The first section should to share your clinic mission statement and philosophy. Say hello and welcome the patient into your practice family. This is also a great place to display a photo of the team. Just ensure it is reasonably current and professional.

2) Practice Information: List all your important contact information, including maps, office hours, financial payment options, insurances taken,  and any other important information.

3) Doctor and Team Biographies: These are the mini-profiles that can be read quickly, rather than a professional CV. Remember also that biographies of staff members who play a vital role in the practice are also important, so patients know who they are.

4) List of Services: Compile a list of your most prominent or featured services, procedures and offerings. You can also include a brief description of each one. The descriptions should only be a few sentences long and written in terms patients will understand; too much medical jargon at will only create confusion or misunderstandings the patient may already have.The more relatable and plain-english the better.

5) What to Expect Tips: Many patients are intimidated by doctors and medical settings. You can reduce this by preparing patients about what to expect on a visit. List the process of who they will see, how long it takes and what the typical follow up steps are. The patient should also know the doctor wants to be informed of all current health care details.

6) FAQs: Patients will typically have the same types of questions, but some may often be too embarrassed to ask. The Frequently Asked Questions section of your binder can help allay their concerns. Answer the questions about things like medical refills, managing payment, and anything else that might be difficult to discuss. Anticipate what the patient will want to know by collecting these questions from your team. Also consider what patients ask you in confidence. (Note: This document can also stand alone and serve as a handout as needed, as some patients may like to take it with them.)

This is a brief overview of what can be included in your medical clinic binder, and this information can also be displayed online to give visitors to your website the same experience.

The medical practice binder is a perfect opportunity to begin engaging patients in the education process, and should be a mainstay in all practice reception areas.

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