These are times of skyrocketing demand for safety and convenience through technology.
In light of COVID-19, the healthcare industry has to deal with patients with higher expectations. As technology empowers the consumer experience in other industries like insurance, food and restaurant and other everyday services, the demand for the healthcare industry to step up their game in providing a more convenient way of service is not getting any lower.
Since E-commerce, such as Amazon, started this wave of giving consumers easy access to groceries, communication services, and car rides, people began to set their expectations high, in any services they buy.
The trend only got bigger and bigger as consumers started demanding more personalized experiences from any industry and that includes healthcare services.
According to Prophet & GE Healthcare Camden Group, about 81% of the consumers are unsatisfied with their healthcare experience.
While the healthcare group is focused on continuously finding new cures and dealing with many compliance rules and mandates, the customer experience has been set aside. As a result, 81% of today’s consumers are unsatisfied with their healthcare experience, according to a joint report from Prophet and GE Healthcare Camden Group.
The consumer market, in general, is expressive enough in their demands on a way to turn their dissatisfaction around. We are handling the mobile and internet generation that depends on the digital age for information and services. Cisco reports that 74% of U.S. patients would use telehealth services, and EY found that 54% would like to speak electronically with their doctor, which is getting higher considering the pandemic.
According to Accenture in 2019, “Consumers increasingly will choose medical providers who offer digital capabilities.”
1. Video Chat
Nothing is more convenient than having a quick video chat with your doctor for a remote consultation. It lowers the risks of missed appointments which is a win-win situation both for the doctor and the patient. It is cost-efficient as patients can avoid unnecessary trips to the clinic or for the doctor to the patient’s house.
2. Digital Forms
Digital forms have transformed the way the patients are sharing their information with the doctors. Patients can now sign the forms from anywhere in any device connected to the internet. Having digital records or forms did not only increase the speed of sharing the information and productivity in the clinics but also provided a safer avenue to save these vital records through the cloud.
82% of patients are open to sharing their medical data with physicians.
3. Customized Reminders
We are seeing our consumers today as the busiest of all generations. The increasing number of missed doctor appointments shows that there is a significant need for constant reminders of patients.
Automated appointment reminders notify patients on their preferred channel (text, voice mail or email), allowing providers to fill vacated slots and streamline workflows. A physician can lose as much as $150,000 in revenue for missed appointments alone. It is just timely to utilize a technology solution for automating those reminders to keep everyone updated.
With consumer preferences and behaviors changing all the time, providers and payers must stay one step ahead of the shifts.
4. Self-Scheduling
Allowing individuals to conveniently and securely book an appointment from anywhere in any device that is connected to the internet could be the most convenient thing that our technology today could offer.
Patients will be more comfortable with booking appointments on their own time preference. A lot of times people get annoyed when being put on hold when calling in to book a schedule. It saves time, both the patient and the staff.
5. Broadcast Message
The broadcast message is one of the most powerful and efficient ways of reaching large patient populations. Imagine reaching 95% of Americans who own a cellphone in a matter of minutes at the most affordable way.
6. Online Payment System
The online payment system is one of the most important technological solutions that any business can have. Even in the healthcare industry, it helps a lot in giving the patients a more positive experience. It matters to the patients a lot if they can conveniently pay for their bills online, anytime, anywhere. Consumers, in general, are trying to avoid long queues and traffic just to pay their bills.
7. Secure Text
Consumers nowadays heavily depend on SMS for communication. Aside from it being a cheaper alternative to reach your patients, it is also the fastest and the most efficient. The secure text takes the conversation into a HIPAA-compliant environment.
Want to step-up your game and give better patient-care? Contact us at engage@troinet.com or 718-761-2780.
