The medical industry is focusing on creating a better patient experience and improving patient satisfaction. Since, it's necessary to improve patient-provider communication, patient touches, interpersonal relationship between patients and providers, organizations are tapping health technologies to make patient experience better. There are certain pain points for the patients that taint healthcare experience.
It is tough for patients to get through to schedule their appointments. This whole experience is inconvenient as they are on the phone for long periods of time to book their appointments. Sharing their medical data is also not easy as they have to fill out paper forms to update health records.
Patient-provider communication outside the clinic can be better if patients and providers had a better understanding of digital communication tools.
Health tech developers are identifying these pain points and introducing new products to market.
Digitizing appointment scheduling system:
Patients can book appointments on the website. Long call center wait times have become major patient satisfaction barrier. So, digitizing call centers by connecting patients with automated prompts can help. Patients looking for directions to reach the facility can get that without connecting with a human. Patients with a complex need that require human input can get that as well.
Patients portals enable secure direct messaging:
Clinicians can tap third party tools to enable secure direct messaging. Alongside promoting patient data access, the portal allows patients and providers to securely communicate about patient care needs and can ultimately improve patient experience. Secure direct messages can help keep patients out of the clinics when possible. Also, patients with minor medical questions can use the tool to contact their providers and can get help without the hassle of visiting the office.
Collecting patient data with patient intake kiosk:
Patient intake and registration is a pain point for both providers and patients. It is a time-consuming process. So, organizations are resorting to patient intake kiosks, which are waiting room tools that allow patients to enter information while they wait for their appointments to begin. Clinicians can access this information once they meet with the patient as this tool interfaces with the EHR.