Patients are expecting high-quality care and services from a medical facility. Find out what tech solutions are improving the patient experience in healthcare facilities.
It’s amazing to see how far medical technology has come, especially when it comes to improving the customer experience. Before, doctor visits were mostly seen as tedious and uncomfortable. Today, thanks to modern technology, healthcare facilities can provide a more comfortable and perhaps even enjoyable patient experience.
Here are some of the best tech solutions that improve the overall patient experience in hospitals, clinics, and other types of healthcare facilities.
- Telemedicine
The impact of telemedicine in the healthcare industry has never been more pronounced than it is now due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With mobility restrictions and hospitals being generally more unsafe than usual, many patients find it challenging to seek help for their non-urgent concerns.
Thanks to reliable telemed companies and the technology they provide, patients can consult with medical professionals in the comfort of their own home; without having to drive to the facility (a big plus for patients in rural areas) or expose themselves to illness. For providers, the major benefit of telemedicine is reduced overhead while still providing quality care to their patients.
- Patient portal
A patient portal is a must for every healthcare facility. This type of tech allows patients to access their health information, renew prescriptions, pay bills, and schedule appointments online–all without having to call the facility and spend possibly a long time on hold. In turn, a patient portal reduces calls to the office, allowing admin staff to focus on more important tasks and reducing their stress levels in the process.
In this modern age where almost everything can be done online, patient portals are essential for healthcare facilities that want to stay competitive and offer the best type of care for their patients.
- Automated reminders and notifications
It’s normal for patients to forget appointments, especially if they are spaced out with months in between. While patients are mostly responsible for remembering their own appointments, healthcare providers can make their patients’ lives easier by sending automated reminders. Not only will this reduce the costs of a missed appointment, but it will also decrease the complications that come with rescheduling and cancellations.
Providers should also automate notifications for test results. Some test results can take a few days or weeks to come out, and patients don’t have to call in just to find out if their results are available. Aside from being a hassle for patients themselves, admin staff also get bombarded with calls that could be easily answered with automated notifications that let patients know when their results are ready.
- Patient kiosk
One of the most tedious parts of visiting a healthcare facility is checking in at reception. And when patients have to line up, wait a long time, and repeat information over and over again; it’s an easy way to make patients dissatisfied with the clinic’s service.
A patient kiosk addresses the hassle of checking into the facility the traditional way. With this tech solution, patients can complete forms on a screen quickly and easily, helping reduce wait times and improve the patient experience as a whole. Moreover, the information inputted into the kiosks automatically sync with the facility’s electronic health record (EHR) system, meaning patients don’t have to enter the same information again anywhere.
- Bedside tablets
Everyone knows that getting admitted can be a boring and uncomfortable experience. More modern hospitals are addressing this general discomfort by providing patients with bedside tablets. Apart from serving as sources of entertainment, beside tables can allow patients to order food, as well as look at educational resources to help inform themselves about their condition.
- Direct messaging
Sensitive information should not be transmitted over non-secure lines. Regular text messaging, e-mails, and even phone calls may not be secure enough for the exchange of confidential health information. This is the main reason why healthcare providers should tap into secure direct messaging to protect patient data against theft, as well as give more confidence to their patients.
Moreover, direct messaging allows patients to ask questions to healthcare staff without crowding the phone lines or making unnecessary visits to the office. To make expectations about direct messaging clear, however, providers must discuss when patients can expect answers to their questions and what type of medical questions they will be able to answer online.
- Reputation management tech
Healthcare facilities are essentially businesses. Hence, reputation always matters, just like the brand image does to typical business. Reputation management technology is therefore a must-have solution for clinicians, especially those that are just on the first few phases of establishing themselves in the community.
Reputation management tech can include automated surveys to gather feedback from patients after their visit; decision structures to sort feedback into different categories (and provide appropriate responses), and scheduling software to ensure that feedback forms are sent on time.
Technology truly makes life easier, and that is incredibly true for the healthcare industry. With these technological solutions, healthcare facilities can provide a better experience to their patients, streamline administrative processes, and reduce overhead at the same time.
