Videos / Film
Film: Follow-up is a system, not a habit
4 minutes. The field note, shown rather than read.
Chapters
- 0:00 A written system rather than each seller's personal habit
- 0:11 Every clinic follows up
- 0:27 What a follow-up system contains
- 0:32 A date the patient chose
- 0:50 Every follow-up does one job
- 1:11 Behind all four sits a named owner
- 1:28 Why it matters for patients abroad
- 1:46 For India, this is part of the larger case
- 2:04 Let the patient set the next date
- 2:10 How to write the messages
- 2:22 How to set the cadence and the stop rule
- 2:40 The stop rule needs equal care
- 2:58 There is a trade-off
- 3:18 How to check the system
- 3:37 That number should be zero
- 3:48 They measure whether the clinic behaves reliably
The field note
Transcript
0:00 A written system rather than each seller's personal habit
Follow-up is the planned sequence of contact after a patient's first conversation, and it works only when it is a written system rather than each seller's personal habit.
0:11 Every clinic follows up
Every clinic follows up. Most do it unevenly. One seller calls back the next morning. Another forgets for a week. A third sends four messages in two days. The patient experiences all three as the same clinic.
0:27 What a follow-up system contains
A follow-up system has four parts.
0:32 A date the patient chose
The first is a date the patient chose. At the end of every conversation, the seller asks when the patient would like to hear from the clinic next. This one question changes the tone of everything that follows, because the next contact is something the patient asked for.
0:50 Every follow-up does one job
The second is a purpose for each message. Every follow-up does one job. The third is a log. Every call, message and email is recorded with the date, the purpose and the outcome. The fourth is a stop rule. The clinic decides in advance when it will stop contacting a patient who has not replied.
1:11 Behind all four sits a named owner
Behind all four sits a named owner. Each enquiry belongs to one person, and the record shows who that is. Without a named owner, a patient who chose a date can still be forgotten, simply because everyone assumed someone else had it.
1:28 Why it matters for patients abroad
This matters because an international patient often takes weeks to decide, and a clinic that goes silent or chases too hard loses their trust either way. Silence suggests the clinic has lost interest or is disorganised. Too much contact suggests pressure.
1:46 For India, this is part of the larger case
A steady rhythm at the patient's chosen pace suggests the opposite: an organised team that respects their decision. For India, this is part of the larger case. Follow-up is often the first sign of how well the whole journey will be run.
2:04 Let the patient set the next date
Let the patient set the next date, then keep it exactly.
2:10 How to write the messages
Use the patient's name and refer to something they said. Give one clear next step. Share evidence rather than adjectives. Pass clinical questions to clinicians.
2:22 How to set the cadence and the stop rule
A default schedule helps when the patient has not chosen a date. I would use something simple, such as a written summary within one working day, a check-in after one week and a further check-in after one month. The exact timing matters less than consistency.
2:40 The stop rule needs equal care
The stop rule needs equal care. I would allow three attempts without a reply, spread over a sensible period, then a final message. That message thanks the patient, confirms that the clinic will not contact them again unless they get in touch and explains how to do so.
2:58 There is a trade-off
There is a trade-off. Some patients who would have replied to a fifth message will be lost. I would accept that. Repeated contact without consent damages trust, may breach data protection rules in the patient's country and reflects badly on medical travel to India as a whole.
3:18 How to check the system
I would review three numbers each month, by seller and by market. First, the share of enquiries with a next contact date recorded. Second, the share of follow-ups made on the agreed date. Third, the number of patients contacted after the stop rule should have applied.
3:37 That number should be zero
That number should be zero. Any case above zero is a coaching conversation, and the reviewer should find which step of the system allowed it.
3:48 They measure whether the clinic behaves reliably
None of these numbers measures bookings directly. They measure whether the clinic behaves reliably. In my view that is the right thing to measure, because reliable behaviour is what an international patient needs to see before trusting a clinic in India with their care.