Success in the healthcare field, like all consumer-driven business, is about marketing. That means not just attracting patients with excellent care and service, but carving out a niche in a very competitive market. In order to accomplish that, it’s important to recognize new trends and technologies which coming generations bring to our culture.
Success in the healthcare field, like all consumer-driven business, is about marketing. That means not just attracting patients with excellent care and service, but carving out a niche in a very competitive market. In order to accomplish that, it’s important to recognize new trends and technologies which coming generations bring to our culture.
1. Be the Medical Home
This doesn’t refer to office décor, but an approach to patient care. While time and budget are constraints for any busy practice, extended patient interaction means happier patients with more confidence in their healthcare provider. Even younger patients long for the days when doctors made house calls. While that may not be possible, modern technology makes it easier to reach out to patients. Automated systems or even a simple telephone headset used by staff at the computer, not to mention personalized emails, can facilitate more interaction with patients at home. Appointment scheduling and verification, timely follow-ups, and useful information are all part of patient care and good customer service. Keeping a patient more involved and informed makes for a more appreciative patient.
2. Let Your Website Work for You
Everyone knows the importance of a website these days. But too many healthcare facilities maintain websites that are so brusquely professional that they come across as cold and uninformative. A website is about branding – it should tell patients who you are and what you do in a way that makes you stand out. Memorable logos and appealing images are essential, but real information on the services and expertise you provide are what prospective patients want. Interactive resources such as online patient records and informative articles or videos will keep visitors coming back. As succeeding generations become more Internet-savvy, a truly informative and interactive website can save your staff time and save you money. Your website is your business portal, and it should be just as helpful and welcoming as your front office is.
3. Telehealth
There are emerging technologies that let professionals monitor patients in their homes without ever leaving the office. As baby boomers age and medical needs grow, this becomes increasingly relevant. We see increasing numbers of patients with heart disease or diabetes. A variety of modern medical devices, such as blood pressure cuffs, pulse oximeters, or glucose meters can be attached to a computer to take vital signs. Results are transmitted instantly to a secure server where nurses can review them and take appropriate actions. Emergency monitors can send life-saving alerts. This means not only better care, but is far more convenient and time-saving for both patients and healthcare professionals.
4. Electronic Records Management
Gone are the days when a receptionist has to go fumbling through file cabinets looking for the information in a patient’s folder. Increased computing power and storage mean more than just greater capacity. Modern database technology and distributed computing networks mean faster and better access, analysis, and file sharing. The age of cloud computing and emerging firms like Enterprise Imaging mean you don’t need to invest in your own hardware. Systems that provide needed functionality and mandated security of digital files are readily available. This means CT scans or X-rays can be performed, uploaded, and available within seconds. Various staff members or even specialists on the other side of the world can view these images on their own devices to provide prompt and economical patient support.
Technical devices are all around and constantly improving. One of the main areas of focus is the huge and constantly growing healthcare field. From a business sense, medical practices should be ready to embrace the communication technologies that a new generation expects. Time-saving technologies free up staff to give patients what they really want – more personal care.