Running a practice is demanding, and the work of building long-term patient relationships often gets sidelined. But just like any field where customers can choose, patients usually have more than one doctor they could see. Strong relationships are what keep them coming back to you.
We looked closely at long-term doctor-patient relationships to understand their benefits, their challenges, and what it actually takes to build them. Here’s what we found, and how to put it to work.
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Why long-term relationships matter
People keep long relationships with all kinds of professionals: hair stylists, trainers, baristas. Doctors top the list. Our Match Made in Medicine study found that 82% of people have had an ongoing relationship with their doctor, and among them, the average relationship lasted more than nine years. That was second only to relationships with a significant other (18.3 years).
Time changes what happens in the exam room. The same study found that more patients feel comfortable discussing mental health (72% vs. 41%), embarrassing symptoms (70% vs. 40%), and family history (74% vs. 49%) with a long-term doctor than with one they just started seeing. Patients are also more likely to act on your advice: four out of five people said they’re likelier to take advice from a doctor they know than one they just met.
As family practitioner Michele C. Reed puts it, “Patients trust doctors they know and have built up a relationship with. It’s like having a friend in the exam room.”
It starts with the human touch
When we asked doctors what was the most effective thing they’d done to build loyalty, and asked patients what kept them coming back, the answer wasn’t the bells and whistles. A clean, modern waiting room with comfortable seating and Wi-Fi is nice, but it wasn’t what made the biggest impact. The theme that came up again and again was the human touch.
Administrative and cost pressures can quietly turn well-meaning doctors into robots, leaving patients with the feeling that they’re an item on a to-do list. Retention is relationship-building, and without a personal approach, patients never feel connected to their caregiver. It’s not just the quality of care, it’s how that care is delivered, what you say, and how you follow through.
Patients describe the difference clearly. “The fact that she speaks to me and looks at me at the same time makes a huge difference,” one patient said of the dermatologist she finally stuck with, after others “ran through a checklist of questions at breakneck speed.” Another stayed with an ob-gyn for years because “he really took the time to explain things” and remembered her family by name.
That’s the foundation. The habits below are how you build on it.
1. Give patients your undivided attention
Even when schedules are full and visits are short, do your best to give patients your full focus. Listen closely, express empathy, answer questions, and give clear, understandable recommendations. Ophthalmologist Lawrence Chao described the payoff: “When patients have a great experience with not just the doctor but the entire team, then that patient will be a practice ambassador for life.” A worthwhile visit is what patients value most, and it’s what brings them back.
2. Practice the three A’s
Bruce Ruben, MD, founder of Encompass HealthCare and Wound Medicine, recommends emphasizing three A’s: availability, accessibility, and affability. “Make sure patient hours are accommodating and, when possible, make time available for urgent visits and weekend hours. Remember that quickly returning phone calls and email messages shows patients their doctors care. And always be polite, kind, and empathetic.”
3. Use history to personalize care
A long relationship gives you context that makes care better. Allison Larson, MD, Assistant Professor of Dermatology at Boston Medical Center, builds relationships by asking about work, family, and hobbies. “These details are important when deciding a treatment plan,” she said. “I treat plantar warts differently for an athlete in competition season.”
A patient’s medical history is a long story with new chapters at every visit. It’s far easier to add to a story you already know than to start from page one. As Maurie Markman, MD noted, understanding a patient’s overall goals shapes the right treatment: a side effect like mild numbness in the fingers matters far more to someone who plays an instrument than to someone who doesn’t.
4. Go the extra mile
Doctors routinely follow up on lab results and testing. Following up when it isn’t required is what strengthens a relationship. Jennifer Caudle, DO, a family physician, reaches out when a patient is going through a hard time or might appreciate a quick call about how a new medication is working. “Sometimes, reaching out to patients in times of need goes a long way,” she said. For her, those long-term relationships are one of the best parts of practicing medicine: “I know their health history, but I also know personal details, like when their first grandchild was born.”
The bottom line
Long-term doctor-patient relationships take work, and patients know it: 41% told us they find it harder to maintain a relationship with one doctor than with one romantic partner. The things that build loyalty are within your control. Lead with the human touch, give patients your attention, stay available, use what you know about them, and follow up when it counts. Openness and trust follow, and so does better care for everyone. And the more available you are, the easier that trust is to build: listing your practice on Zocdoc lets patients reach you and book on their own time, so the relationship keeps going long after they leave the exam room.
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