Improving the Patient Experience is only challenging if you don't know what your patients want or need.
Many people do not enjoy their doctor visits. Some people are so dissatisfied with hospitals and their services that they avoid them completely. And who can blame them, given that the average wait time in the ER is 103 minutes in the United States.
This is where it is necessary to take a closer look at the Patient Experience (PX). It starts when the patient books an appointment, continues as any changes or updates are made up to the appointment, then the visit itself, and ends after feedback (if any) has been supplied. What the patient provides in terms of feedback, can show your administrators areas that need to be worked on to improve the PX.
Patients today are driven not only by the efficiency and quality of care but also by the time it takes to complete their journey. Providing outstanding customer service, making appointment booking easier, and lowering wait times is what an improved PX is all about. Prioritizing these factors can increase patient satisfaction, and lessen staff workloads, creating a positive experience throughout the entire process.
Care providers now offer several mobile device-based digital services that allow a patient to locate a doctor, renewe a prescription,book telemedicine visits, access test results, schedule an appointment, and pay for their services, and provide feedback.
Offering these services to your patients will improve the journey at your facility, let's take a look at how they help.
- Understand Patient Needs by Listening to Feedback
Sometimes it is important to start at the end of the journey to see how to make the next one better. Listening to patients is key when aiming to improve the experience.
Through Customer Feedback, patients provide insights on how the journey can be improved by sharing how they felt about their experience at your facility.. The software helps healthcare staff gather real-time feedback and analyzes the information that patients have shared to see what exactly needs to change.
- Use Technology as a Necessary Emotional Connection
According to a study published in Academic Magazine, doctors with greater empathy had a higher success rate while treating their patients.
We crave emotional bonds as humans. We want to be heard, valued, cared for, and understood. Thus, when providers and healthcare staff show empathy, the patient is likely to feel more comfortable through their journey, especially when medical visits require sharing personal, and often, sensitive information. By providing software that improves the PX, healthcare facilities show that they listen to their customer's concerns and are willing to make room for improvement.
Here are some tips on how healthcare providers can improve patient experience through empathizing with a patient:
- Apologizing for excessive wait times. This demonstrates that you value their time.
- Using icebreakers to relieve stress.
- Making an effort to pronounce names correctly; if you're unsure, ask.
- Listening carefully - and not simply from a medical standpoint.
- Giving warmth and friendliness, and treating people as you would like to be treated.
These small, but meaningful, attentions to detail make major impressions on how a patient interacts with your facility and staff.
- Use Digital Solutions to Enhance Your PX
Digital solutions allow for a variety of available service options. They automate dated back-office processes that increase productivity. Instead of holding up the patient journey, they minimize human error when it comes to scheduling overlaps and will help reduce patient no-shows. Time is valuable and digital solutions allow patients to have more control over their time spent at your facility.
Further, according to INC , 63% of patients will choose one practice over another if the website is compelling and user-friendly, “i.e. availability of relevant, accurate and compelling information.” By combining specific smart solutions such as Online Booking and Assitant Anywhere, both powered by Q-Flow, the PX can be improved by providing a user-friendly online presence. Let’s explore their benefits.
Online Appointment Booking
One of the essential components of current medical technology is how patients book their appointments. Offering patients the opportunity to schedule appointments from a preferred device or channel will greatly impact how they perceive your healthcare service and reduce no-shows.
Healthcare facilities can optimize their PX with an Appointment Booking Software which provides smart and automated appointment management solutions. It also benefits staff by having all the information in the system before the patient arrives, saving time on back office processes, and giving them more time to spend with patients.
This software aims to empower patients by enabling them to take control of their time and avoid long wait times. It makes it easier for patients to:
- Book an appointment whenever it is convenient for them, without ever having to wait on hold.
- Track and receive push notifications as reminders regarding their appointments from any device.
- Reschedule or cancel their appointment with a few clicks.
Seamless Video Consultations & Appointment Booking
77% of patients reported that they rather have virtual appointments. The certainty that they won’t be surrounded by other sick people was cited as the primary reason for this preference.
Further, Telehealth reduces wait times, boosts patient volumes, and significantly improves patient satisfaction by giving the patient the freedom to carry out an appointment from a location of their choosing.
With Assistant Anywhere, patients can access their video consultations remotely through a mobile or web app, wherever and whenever it suits them. This solution provides patients and healthcare staff with real-time experience and a hyper-personalized digital interaction.
With Assistant Anywhere, there’s no need to wait in a busy lobby for long periods of time. This software offers an end-to-end encrypted virtual waiting room where you can alert patients of their appointment time and any other updates or changes.
The mission of ACF Technologies is to make every patient interaction simple, efficient, and pleasurable so that healthcare facilities can enhance their their patients' experiences by providing a differentiated service that meets today's standards.
Contact us or schedule a demo to speak with one of our experts on Patient Experience Management.
