If your organisation is in the healthcare and medical industry, you understand the importance of improving every patient’s experience with you.
From the moment they book an appointment, to the time they arrive, are seen, leave, and rebook, their impression of this entire journey means a lot to your ongoing business success.
Smart healthcare organisations are forever looking to improve this patient experience, as it not only leads to better healthcare outcomes; it also enhances reputation and positive word of mouth, improves efficiencies and differentiates your service.
Here are three trends in the healthcare industry that are changing the patient experience for the better.
Consider this scenario.
When you walk into a restaurant, you typically expect that the menu is going to have descriptions and prices listed beside each item, allowing you to choose your meal based on taste, affordability and budget.
If, for some reason, there were no descriptions or prices on the menu, it would make your decision a lot more difficult, and you would struggle to determine the value of eating there at all. This tarnishes what should be a pleasant experience.
Transparency around factors such as products, services and price is just one of the many factors that lead to creating a better experience for people. That’s why most restaurants, and indeed, most service providers in general, make this information easily available and accessible for their clientele. It makes deciding easier and people feel more comfortable with their choices.
The medical industry, however, tends not to.
While it’s fair to admit that the healthcare system is far more complicated than the food industry, this still doesn’t explain why most patients have no idea what their service will consist of and how much their services are going to cost upfront. Does the dentist typically share this information? What about your GP? Or optometrist?
In addition to this, many providers continue to use archaic processes and provide confusing services that ultimately combine to negatively affect the overall experience of the patient.
So, what’s the answer?
To help address these problems, there are three trends that you can adopt as a healthcare provider to streamline your operations and provide a more positive patient experience – all of which can lead to better health outcomes and better business practise.
1. Promote transparency in the healthcare industry
In many industries, transparency is not simply a suggestion, it’s a requirement.
If we go back to our example of the food industry, fast-food restaurants across most states and territories in Australia are now required by law to provide nutritional information such as the kilojoule content of all products on their menu. This allows their customers to make more informed choices.
While medical procedures aren’t typically listed on a menu, the lack of transparency around pricing and other factors makes it difficult for patients to make an informed choice about their own healthcare.
The healthcare industry is under increasing pressure due to rising demand and healthcare costs, but if you can find a way to make this information more available to your patients, it will go a long way towards improving their overall experience - and your reputation as a provider too.
2. Replace outdated systems that only lead to disengagement
Despite the evolution in digital technology over the years, many healthcare providers still manage their paperwork and operations manually. This leads to longer wait times, mismanaged queues, and delays in billing and payment processing, degrading the patient experience in the process.
This is especially as patients have high expectations and compare your service to others in their lives.
With so many emerging tools to help improve patient interactions, from scheduling apps and payment portals to aftercare management, the healthcare providers that choose not to adapt risk losing their patients altogether to those that do.
Your healthcare organisation can gain a serious advantage over other providers, simply by adopting the latest technology and systems available to help you boost operational efficiencies, empower your staff and focus on what matters most to improve your patient experience.
The patients who feel engaged throughout their care journey will be more encouraged to return to your organisation and tell everyone about it too.
3. Embrace automation as the future of healthcare
Optimising the patient journey through automated technology can drastically reduce your patient wait times, save your resources, support your team and minimise mistakes within your healthcare facility.
Not only that, but it can also allow your organisation to deliver a more personalised service in a humanised way that helps to put your patients back at the centre of their own care journey – all without any additional effort from your already busy staff roster.
Through the adoption of innovative and smart technology solutions, you can deliver better information, meet all deadlines, streamline your processes and ensure a positive patient experience every time. In doing so, you’ll safeguard your healthcare facility for the future, and ensure that you can remain adaptive to the ever-evolving needs of your patients over time.
This is where NEXA can help.
Our patient experience solutions enable healthcare providers of all shapes and sizes to optimise each aspect of their patient journey and improve their operational efficiencies to deliver a positive outcome every time.
So, are you ready to improve your patient experience?
At NEXA, we understand the pressure that your healthcare facility is under to provide the best possible service and care for every patient, every day.
NEXA is an Australian company that delivers innovative digital communications solutions to empower both our clients and their employees by taking advantage of digital technology. With NEXA, you can support and enable your team, deliver excellent service levels and thrive in today’s evolving landscape.
Do you want to experience the benefits that come with integrating NEXA’s patient journey solutions into your healthcare facility?
Talk to us today to find out how you can make your patient interactions matter.
