Careful and accurate counseling is essential for maximizing patient satisfaction and efficacy in medical aesthetics clinics. The initial counseling session is the first step in gaining the patients’ trust, and is a key element in the long-term success of the clinic. This article explains the importance of counseling, effective counseling methods, and ways to improve patient repeat rates to doctors who operate medical aesthetics clinics.
- INDEX
The Roles of the Initial Counseling (01:34-)
The initial counseling session is the first opportunity to understand the patient’s concerns and wishes, and to gain their trust. The way you proceed here will have a big impact on the patient’s impression of the clinic.
Specifically, the following processes are included:
- Consultation with a Nurse or Esthetician:
During the first consultation, our experienced staff will listen to the patient’s story and carefully ask about their background and wishes. The staff in this role are required to be well-versed in medical aesthetics and appropriately answer the patient’s questions. It is crucial to train staff so that they can build a rapport with the patient during the initial consultation. - Facial Cleansing Guidance and Skin Diagnosis:
Checking and instructing on facial cleansing is the basis for accurately grasping the patient’s skin condition. We give specific advice as incorrect washing habits can undermine the treatment effect. We then take photos using a dedicated skin diagnosis device to visually check the skin condition, so that the patient can also understand the problem. - Referral to Doctors:
Based on the counseling sheets and skin diagnoses from the nurses or estheticians, the doctor will propose a treatment plan to the patient. Accurate and smooth handover from the staff to the doctor is essential for the patient to communicate without stress.
Creating an Environment to Increase Repeat Customers (06:57-)
Cosmetic treatments are not completed with a single session, but require ongoing care. For this reason, it is important to create an environment that encourages repeat visits.
- Patient Education:
We regularly communicate with patients so that their treatment details and effects are fully understood. By explaining the treatment in an appropriate manner, we encourage patients to be actively involved in their treatment plans. - Cooperation with Staff:
By improving their cosmetic knowledge and counseling skills through patient interaction, staff can play a more effective supporting role for doctors. It is also important to create a system that allows staff to provide doctors with appropriate feedback on patient requests and skin changes. - How to Keep Patients Coming Back:
We work to create an attractive environment that encourages patients to regularly visit us, through the introduction of new treatment equipment, updates to medications, and communication via SNS and email.
Long-term efforts to build trust are the key to success (13:09-)
In order to encourage patients to continue attending your clinic, it is important to build a relationship of trust from a long-term perspective. As treatment effects accumulate, patients notice, which leads to motivation to continue treatment.
Even in cases where treatment takes time, such as with sagging skin, improving skin tone and texture can give patients a sense of joy and trust. This gradual approach can lead to a smooth transition to more expensive treatments in the end, improving patient satisfaction and the clinic’s profit.
Summary
Counseling at a medical aesthetics clinic is not just an initial consultation, but a crucial step in gaining patients’ trust for successful treatment. Building a lasting relationship of trust with patients through careful and accurate counseling, and raising patient repeat rates, will directly lead to a clinic to growth. Together, doctors and staff can bring out the beauty in each and every patient to the maximum extent.
