In today’s eyecare environment, patients often face more than just clinical challenges—they encounter systemic barriers that can make accessing care feel intimidating, impersonal, or even impossible. As someone currently navigating this journey for my stepson, who had congenital cataracts as a child, I’ve seen firsthand how difficult it can be to simply find an ophthalmologist willing to see him. The process has been filled with unanswered calls, confusing policies, and a lack of clarity about where to turn next.
This experience has made me reflect on what it means to be welcoming in a health care setting. For ophthalmic professionals—whether at the front desk or in the exam room—creating a welcoming environment isn’t just about being polite. It’s about removing barriers, offering reassurance, and making patients feel seen and valued from the moment they call the office or walk through the door.
In this article, we’ll explore how clinics can evaluate their patient experience through the lens of hospitality and empathy. We’ll look at common challenges in making appointments and offer practical strategies to ensure every patient feels truly welcomed—not just as a case, but as a person.
Mystery Shopping: Seeing Your Clinic Through the Patient’s Eyes
To truly understand what your patients experience, it’s essential to step outside your role in the clinic and evaluate the journey from their perspective. One effective way to do this is through a mystery shopping exercise. Start by placing a call to your own clinic’s call center. Was the phone answered promptly? Was the person on the other end helpful, clear, and kind?
You might also consider asking a trusted friend or family member—without revealing their identity—to go through the full process of making an appointment and visiting the clinic. Their feedback can offer valuable insight into what it feels like to be a new patient navigating your system.
There are also professional services that specialize in gathering this kind of data, and increasingly, clinics are turning to artificial intelligence (AI) tools to analyze patient calls and interactions. These tools can help identify patterns, pain points, and communication breakdowns that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Once you’ve gathered this information, take a step back and ask: Where are the barriers? What parts of the process might frustrate or confuse someone unfamiliar with your clinic? As an ophthalmic professional, you know the system inside and out—but would your experience feel welcoming if you didn’t have that knowledge?
Insurance Verification: When Policy Minimizes Patient Care
As part of my journey seeking care for my stepson, I encountered a moment that reminded me how easily a clinic can unintentionally make a patient or caregiver feel unwelcome. When I called to schedule a medical appointment for him, the call center immediately asked for our vision insurance. I explained that we were seeking care for a medical issue related to his congenital cataracts, but the staff seemed more focused on following a script than understanding our situation.
Despite my professional background and understanding of medical vs vision insurances, I felt dismissed. The situation continued when I was told the ophthalmologists might not see patients under 18 and that someone would need to check with the doctors. They took a message and never followed up. I eventually had to call back to secure an appointment in 4 months. By that point, I already felt like an inconvenience—not a caregiver seeking help for a child.
This experience is a reminder that welcoming patients isn’t just about smiling at the front desk—it starts with how we listen, how we respond, and how we make people feel during every interaction. Gauging the patient experience starts with asking ourselves the following questions:
- Are our staff trained to listen with empathy, not just follow a checklist?
- Does our insurance verification process support the patient’s needs or create confusion and frustration?
- How do we communicate eligibility policies in a way that feels respectful and reassuring?
Training for Empathy: Welcoming Starts With Understanding
Creating a welcoming environment isn’t just about policies or procedures—it’s about cultivating empathy. One of the most effective ways to do that is through hands-on training exercises that help staff truly understand what patients experience.
One of the most powerful exercises I ever participated in was designed to simulate what an aging patient might go through at the front desk. I was given a pair of gloves to wear, mimicking the reduced dexterity that can come with age. Then I was handed a pair of prescription glasses that weren’t mine, to simulate visual impairment. Finally, I was given a wallet stuffed with cards and cash and asked to find my insurance card.
It was humbling. Tasks that I normally wouldn’t think twice about suddenly became frustrating and disorienting. That experience stayed with me, and it changed the way I think about every interaction at the front desk.
These active trainings can be incredibly impactful in ophthalmology settings, where many patients are already dealing with vision loss, mobility challenges, or cognitive concerns. They help staff build empathy, patience, and awareness—key ingredients in making patients feel truly welcomed.
- Have your staff ever experienced what it’s like to navigate your clinic with impaired vision or mobility?
- Do your training programs go beyond technical skills to include emotional intelligence and empathy?
- How often does your team reflect on what it feels like to be a patient in your care?
Welcoming Is a Practice, Not a Policy
Welcoming patients isn’t just about what we say at the front desk; it’s about how we make people feel at every step of their journey. From the first phone call to the moment they walk into the clinic, patients are forming impressions about whether they are truly seen, heard, and valued.
As my own experience seeking care for my stepson has shown, even well-meaning practices can unintentionally create barriers that leave patients feeling dismissed or discouraged. But with intention, training, and a willingness to see through the patient’s eyes, we can do better. Mystery shopping, empathy-building exercises, and thoughtful staff training are not just operational tools: They are opportunities to build trust and connection. When we take the time to listen and improve, we create more than just a smooth process. We create a culture of care.
So, ask yourself and your team: Are we truly welcoming patients or just processing them? The difference matters. OP
