I’ve met a lot of people over the years who do tough jobs. Practice managers? You’re right up there. You run a tight ship, lead a team, keep patients happy, put out fires daily and still manage to smile at the front desk. But here’s the thing: for all the talk about performance goals, metrics, and satisfaction surveys, there’s one tool that gets shrugged off more than it should.
It’s called the Net Promoter Score, or NPS, and it’s not just another chart to fill your inbox. It’s the canary in the coal mine for your clinic. When used right, it tells you if your patients are happy, if your team is delivering, and if something’s about to go sideways before it actually does.
It boils down to one simple question: “How likely are you to recommend our practice to a friend or family member?” Patients answer on a scale from 0 to 10. The score splits into three camps:
Promoters (9–10): These folks are your raving fans. They’ll come back and bring their neighbor.
Passives (7–8): They’re fine. Not wowed. Not mad. They’ll stick around… unless someone wows them first.
Detractors (0–6): These are your walking warning signs. If they talk about your clinic, it’s probably not good.
You take the percentage of promoters, subtract the detractors, and boom, that’s your NPS. And that number? It matters.
If NPS is your smoke alarm, CAHPS is the building inspector. CAHPS surveys are official. They’re long, they’re tied to reimbursement, and they come out quarterly (if you’re lucky). NPS, on the other hand, is fast. Real-time. And it gives you the kind of insights you can act on before the wheels fall off.
FEATURE | NPS | CAHPS |
|---|---|---|
Purpose | Loyalty & satisfaction | Full patient experience reporting |
Timing | Real-time (text, online) | Quarterly or yearly (mail/phone) |
Usefulness | Daily coaching & feedback | System-wide compliance & strategy |
Tie to Reimbursement | No | Yes |
Scope | One question, optional comments | Lots of questions, formal data |
You need both. But when your front desk blows up or patients bail after one visit, it’s NPS that gives you the early warning.
You don’t have to wait six months to find out people are mad about wait times or confused check-ins. If your score dips this week, you can do something about it this week.
A high NPS means people trust you and trust brings them back. And in healthcare, return visits = revenue. Simple math.
From the front desk to discharge, every moment affects NPS. It’s not about blame; it’s about spotting who needs backup and who deserves a high-five.
When you make NPS part of the conversation, your team gets the message: "What the patient feels matters." That changes how people show up.
Check it monthly. Heck, weekly if you can.
Break it down by provider, service line, or time of day. Patterns tell stories.
Read the comments. Seriously. The gold is in the “why.”
Celebrate wins. Coach through dips.
And when someone leaves a bad score, call them. You’d be amazed what a conversation can fix.
NPS isn’t just another box to check. It’s a flashlight in the basement. A tool that tells you whether your clinic is running right or heading for trouble. Use it often, use it well, and you’ll not only see your numbers improve, you’ll build something stronger. A team that’s proud. Patients who stick around. A clinic people trust.
And trust, last I checked, is pretty darn valuable.
Want help figuring out how to use NPS without adding more to your plate? Let’s talk. We can make it work for your clinic—and your sanity.
Dr. Angie Schierer is an accomplished C-suite executive consultant specializing in rural healthcare administration. With a robust background in operations, quality, process improvement, and team development, she thrives on tackling new challenges and leading diverse teams through transformational growth and innovative thinking.
Ready to put Angie and our team to work for you? Contact us today to get started!