16 Jun Ways to Provide Better Service to Patients (Healthcare Practice Guide)

Right now, the healthcare industry is under immense pressure to keep patients healthy and happy.

The recent pandemic has caused an explosion in health-related problems and anxiety, as people are more conscious now than ever before about their physical and mental wellbeing. Of course, this has resulted in an avalanche of patients demanding to see doctors and healthcare professionals, as they want to receive the thumbs up that their health is A-OK.

After all, some people have been unable to physically see a doctor in months due to lockdowns and restrictions, which has raised tensions amongst the population. And now that vaccines have been throw into the mixer, it truly has become a vital point in history for healthcare.

This means that healthcare practices need to be at the top of their games. From patient communications to appointment scheduling, every factor of your practice needs to be perfect.

Here are some ways you can provide better service throughout the rest of 2021 and beyond.

1.    Optimize technology

Technology benefits every industry – particularly healthcare.

Without technology, healthcare wouldn’t be the success it is today. There would be fewer medical advancements, patient data would be impossible to store, and communication between all parties would be greatly restricted.

Therefore, your healthcare practice should optimize technology to its maximum capability.

Unfortunately, IT work can be extremely complicated, particularly in the healthcare industry. There are too many internal functions to count, and if you don’t have the right professionals monitoring and maintaining your systems, your healthcare practice will encounter all sorts of issues.

The best course of action is to outsource your IT services to a specialist company, like Healthy IT, to save your practice lots of time and effort. This way, you can focus your attention on other key areas of your practice.

2.    Increase your patient flow

Every healthcare patient shares the universal dislike of long waiting room times. There’s nothing more frustrating than sitting in a waiting room whilst you wait for your appointment that was scheduled over an hour ago.

To prevent this, your healthcare practice needs to increase efficiency from the waiting room all the way to the doctor’s office. This means staying within designated consultation times, sending patient reminders, and correctly directing patients where they need to go.

Also, you should make it clear that any patients who are late for appointments will be diverted to a later spot in order to prevent potential disruptions to your daily schedule – which is particularly important during the COVID-19 era. Once a healthcare practice has a fast yet effective patient flow, it keeps all parties happy – especially the patients.

3.    Conduct follow-up appointments

Patients like to feel cared for. One of the best ways you can deliver this feeling is through frequent follow-up appointments. Therefore, after appointments, you should pencil in patients for a follow-up appointment.

For less important cases, such as minor patient problems, you should schedule preliminary follow-up appointments instead. This is where a member of your reception team, rather than a doctor or nurse, will call a patient to double-check whether they need a follow-up appointment. This will do wonders for your practice’s reputation and patient loyalty.

The information on MedicalResearch.com is provided for educational purposes only, and is in no way intended to diagnose, cure, or treat any medical or other condition. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health and ask your doctor any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. In addition to all other limitations and disclaimers in this agreement, service provider and its third party providers disclaim any liability or loss in connection with the content provided on this website.

Last Updated on June 16, 2021 by Marie Benz MD FAAD