The healthcare industry pays more attention to the concept of patient experience today than ever before. Healthcare organizations see the value in a positive patient experience; it leads to better outcomes for patients and increased revenue over the long term. Yet, there are many healthcare organizations that still don’t know what steps to take to create an ideal patient experience.
What does “patient experience” mean?
The term “patient experience” refers to all of the interactions that a patient has with a healthcare provider. A patient’s experience with a healthcare provider starts long before he or she walks into the office; the clock starts ticking the moment a patient picks up the phone to schedule an appointment or performs an online search for a healthcare provider.
Though the concept of what constitutes an ideal patient experience varies from one patient to another, there are some general principles that always apply. For instance, when patients feel that their healthcare providers take the time to understand them and that those providers value their input, they are more likely to rate the experience as a positive one. When patients can easily schedule appointments and communicate seamlessly with their provider when needed, patient satisfaction increases. When issues and challenges arise, patients appreciate a quick, professional resolution to problems. Digitally savvy patients also value the ability to schedule appointments, communicate with their providers, and coordinate care via their mobile device of choice. All of these things fall under the umbrella of providing an ideal patient experience.
What’s the business case for an Ideal Patient Experience?
There’s a correlation between your healthcare organization’s bottom line and the ideal patient experience. When you improve the patient experience, patients are more likely to show up for appointments, which reduces revenue-killing no-show rates.
No-shows to appointments are costly; every time someone doesn’t show up, the practitioner isn’t making money. Moreover, improving the patient experience can make it easier for your patients to book appointments in the first place. An increase in appointments ensures your organization remains profitable and sustainable.
Click here for an overview of The High Cost of Poor Patient Experience
Improving the patient experience through a healthcare communications platform
One investment that can help you improve the patient experience (as well as boost your organization’s revenue) is an integrated healthcare communications platform, which includes a suite of collaboration tools, including voice, video meetings, secure messaging, and contact center technologies.
How can an integrated healthcare communications platform play a role in the ideal patient experience? For a start, it enhances scheduling. A healthcare communications platform routes the patient’s call to the right person at the healthcare facility. Additionally, the platform sends out an automated reminder a day before the appointment, which increases the chances the patient will show up. An integrated healthcare communications platform also includes tools to facilitate care coordination, thereby providing a superior patient experience.
Getting the patient experience right pays dividends for your organization. See how cloud communications are transforming healthcare. Get the demo and learn how to deliver the ideal patient experience.
Originally published Mar 05, 2020, updated Aug 07, 2024
