Digital tools are rapidly transforming how patients engage with their care and how providers deliver medical services.

These tools are re-chiseling the very structure of the patient experience. They deliver enhanced communication, empower patients with information, and improve access and efficiency.

The integration of digital technologies within the healthcare sector is moving the patient from a passive recipient of healthcare to an actively engaged, informed partner in their well-being.

In this article, we’ll go over how digital tools improve patient experiences in healthcare. There are many benefits, from communication enhancement to efficiency and access improvements.

Defining the Digital Healthcare Landscape

Technologies designed to facilitate the medical office system and care delivery are at the core of the digital healthcare landscape. Basically, if you want to have a top-tier practice, you need to invest in the right tech.

This includes electronic health records (EHRs), telehealth, mHealth (mobile health) applications, and wearable devices. These tools store and relay medical information. They also enable a dynamic and continuous exchange of data between patients and providers.

The digital paradigm shift is fuelled by a need for accessibility, affordability, and quality in patient care. It is also a response to the ubiquity of technology in our daily lives.

Enhancing Patient Engagement and Communication

One of the biggest impacts of digital tools in healthcare gained a lot of traction during the pandemic. We’re talking about telemedicine. It’s a tool designed to improve engagement and communication between patients and providers.

Video conferencing and mobile technology allow patients to access their healthcare providers from their homes. This cuts down on wait times in medical facilities and mitigates exposure of disease to medical personnel and other patients.

Chatbots and virtual health assistants are also playing their part in the communication frontier. They provide timely information, route inquiries, and even perform initial assessments.

These automated processes ease the burden on provider call centers and streamline the patient’s path to care.

Patient portals allow patients to view their medical records, schedule appointments, and communicate securely with their providers. The direct line of communication incentivizes a collaborative relationship. Patients are becoming more involved in managing their health.

Empowering Patients with Information

Digital tools, such as health applications and wearable technology, act as conduits for helping patients acquire knowledge. Health apps range from general health diaries to applications that assist with medication adherence or mental wellness.

Wearable tech, like fitness trackers and smartwatches, serves as a platform for data collection and encourages individuals to be proactive about their health. They provide real-time feedback, turning personal health into an ongoing dialogue.

For more insights into the cost implications of these technologies within EHR systems, you might find this guide to EHR costs and pricing) particularly informative.

The digitization of educational resources further expands the reach of health information to a broader audience. Patients can access extensive information libraries tailored to their specific conditions or concerns with just a few clicks.

Improving Healthcare Access and Efficiency

Telemedicine can be a game-changer for patients in rural areas, those with limited mobility, or individuals facing time constraints. It provides access to specialists and services that may not be locally available while reducing the need for in-person visits for routine check-ups.

Appointment scheduling systems are becoming more sophisticated. They’re incorporating patient preferences with provider availability to reduce wait times.

Electronic prescriptions streamline the medication process, enhancing safety and minimizing errors. Additionally, digital tools can automate administrative tasks, freeing up staff to focus on patient care.

Digital Tools Are Making Healthcare Better for Everyone

Integrating digital tools into healthcare represents a seismic shift in how patient care is delivered and received. This post covered just a few of the high-tech resources currently being used.

Digital health technologies are refining the patient experience and propelling the entire healthcare industry into a more accessible, efficient, and patient-centered future.

As we continue to navigate the complexities of healthcare in the 21st century, the strategic implementation of digital tools will continue shaping a more responsive and effective healthcare system.

As technology speeds ahead without looking back, it’s overhauling life as we know it—from everyday habits to job workflows down to basic human connections.

One of the industries having the most profound impact is the healthcare sector. Digital innovation here is about fundamentally redefining the patient experience and engagement.

Here, we’ll examine how digital transformation in healthcare changes patient engagement and improves health outcomes.

We’ll shine a light on key elements such as eForms, remote monitoring, patient portals, and emerging trends that are laying the foundation for a new era in healthcare.

The Role of eForms in Patient Engagement

Healthcare comes with a mountain of paperwork, and it’s high time we started making it easier on patients and administrative staff.

Traditionally, patients are accustomed to filling out lengthy forms upon arrival at a healthcare provider’s office. It’s usually duplicate information they’ve provided on past visits. It’s always the same thing, over and over again.

Electronic forms, or eForms, streamline this process. They make it faster and more convenient for patients to manage their healthcare information.

The Efficiency and Convenience of eForms

Electronic forms offer several advantages over traditional paper-based forms:

• Ease of Completion: Patients can complete eForms at home or on their mobile devices. This reduces the time spent in the waiting room.
• Accurate and Up-to-Date Information: Patients can update their medical history and insurance information with intelligent form-filling capabilities, which are then automatically synced with their EHR.
• Enhanced Privacy and Security: By eliminating the need for physical paper, compliant eForm software mitigates the risks associated with lost or stolen patient records.
• Seamless Integration: EHR-integrated eForms ensure that patient data directly flows into the digital healthcare provider’s system, eliminating the need for manual data entry.

The patient-provider relationship begins with a more efficient and patient-forward approach. The implementation of eForms is huge in making that happen, setting the tone for improved engagement.

Breaking Down the Digital Shift in Healthcare

The term “digital transformation” encompasses a wide range of technological advancements and cultural changes in the field. It includes adopting electronic health records (EHR), using telemedicine, and implementing data analytics to improve patient care and operations.

These changes improve the efficiency of administrative tasks. Providers are also using advanced tech to create a more personalized and patient-centric approach to healthcare.

Technology Trends Shaping the Future of Healthcare

Several key technology trends are driving the digital transformation in healthcare:

• Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI is used to perform tasks such as data analysis, diagnosis, and treatment. It allows for more sophisticated and personalized care.
• Internet of Things (IoT): Some providers are using IOT devices for remote patient monitoring, tracking medication adherence, and managing chronic conditions.
• Blockchain: This technology offers a secure way of sharing patient data without compromising privacy.
• Robotics: From surgery to rehabilitation, robotics is enhancing precision and effectiveness in medical procedures.
• Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR): These immersive technologies are used for medical training. They can also see use in patient education and pain management.

These trends represent a massive change in how healthcare is delivered and received. They show a future where patients are more informed, care is more coordinated, and health outcomes are more closely monitored and improved.

Continuous Engagement Is a Great Tool for Ongoing Care

The digital transformation in healthcare is a complete and historic paradigm change that places patient engagement at the heart of healthcare delivery.

Through innovations such as eForms, AI, IoT, and remote monitoring, the healthcare sector is evolving to offer a more accessible, personalized, and efficient patient experience.

These advancements enhance the quality of care and foster a deeper connection between healthcare providers and their patients, ultimately improving health outcomes.

The ongoing digital revolution is a testament to the sector’s commitment to adapting and evolving in response to the needs and expectations of the modern patient. It’s signaling a new era of innovative and inclusive healthcare.

The global healthcare IT market is growing, poised to reach $1.8 trillion by 2030. It translates to a CAGR of 15.8% from 2024, fueled by several trends, including the use of smartphones.

As the number of smartphone users grows, so does its application in healthcare. Remote patient monitoring through mobile apps is becoming increasingly popular, allowing for improved care outside hospital settings.

A patient engagement mobile app has the potential to revolutionize healthcare delivery. These apps can empower patients to be more active in their health and well-being, leading to improved health outcomes and reduced costs.

Benefits of using a patient engagement mobile app

Patient engagement mobile apps can help people and healthcare institutions in several ways:

1. Improved communication: apps can provide patients with secure access to their medical records, appointment information, and test results. They can also facilitate communication with doctors and other healthcare providers through messaging, chat, or video calls.

2. Enhanced self-management: the patient mobile app can help patients track their symptoms, adherence to treatment, and other health metrics. They can also provide educational resources and personalized guidance to help patients manage chronic conditions.

3. Increased engagement: apps can make healthcare more engaging and interactive for patients. Gamification elements, rewards, and social features can motivate patients to continue their treatment plans and adopt healthy behaviors.

4. Reduced costs: by empowering patients to manage their health more effectively, apps can help reduce healthcare costs. Lowering costs can be achieved through fewer hospital admissions, emergency room visits, and doctor appointments.

Custom patient engagement mobile app development

While more than 350,000 patient engagement apps are already available on the market, sometimes a custom solution that will suit your requirements is the best fit. You can refer to a healthcare software development company to develop the app.

Custom patient engagement mobile app development can be effective for healthcare providers and patients. It allows for tailored functionalities and features that cater to specific needs and goals, potentially leading to improved patient outcomes, increased patient engagement, and streamlined workflows for healthcare professionals. IT consulting services can help to clarify your project’s requirements and make some rough estimations on resources.

Let’s take a close look at building a custom patient engagement app.

Custom app development benefits

Here are the significant custom patient engagement mobile app development advantages:

• Targeted features: address specific patient needs and workflows, unlike generic apps.
• Integration with existing systems: seamlessly connect with Electronic Health Records (EHRs), lab results, and other vital data sources.
• Branding and user experience: align with your hospital or practice’s branding and create a familiar, user-friendly patient experience.
• Scalability and future-proofing: adapt and grow with your needs, adding new features and functionalities as required.
• Improved adherence: encourage medication adherence and appointment attendance through reminders and educational resources.
• Improved data collection and analysis: gain valuable insights from patient data to inform care decisions.

Overall, custom patient engagement mobile apps offer a win-win scenario for patients and healthcare providers, promoting better communication, improved healthcare management, and, ultimately, better health outcomes.

Considerations

Here are several points to remember when deciding on custom mobile app development. Knowing them in advance will help you avoid the pitfalls of building your perfectly-tailored application.

Cost: custom development is typically more expensive than pre-built solutions.

Development time: creating a custom app takes longer than implementing a pre-built one.

Technical expertise: you may need to hire internal developers or partner with an external development agency.

Maintenance and updates: ongoing maintenance and updates are your responsibility.

Features to regard

What are the main features to include in a custom patient engagement mobile app? Here is a breakdown of the most common aspects to consider:

1. Appointment scheduling and reminders: allow patients to book, reschedule, and receive appointment reminders.

2. Secure messaging: enables secure communication between patients and healthcare providers.

3. Health data tracking: integrate with wearables and devices to track vital signs, medications, and other health metrics.

4. Educational resources: provide patients with personalized educational content and support materials.

5. Self-management tools: offer tools for managing chronic conditions, medication adherence, and lifestyle changes.

6. Remote consultations: facilitate virtual consultations with doctors and specialists.

7. Feedback and surveys: gather patient feedback to improve the app and healthcare experience.

If you are still unsure about your future patient engagement mobile app, consider using third-party support.

Development process

The development process of patient engagement mobile apps is similar to every other app development and consists of several distinctive stages. They are:

Needs assessment and planning: defining your goals, target audience, and desired features. At this step, you also identify patient needs and pain points, analyze compliance considerations, and prioritize essential features based on user needs and feasibility.

Design and prototyping: creating user interfaces and workflows that are intuitive and user-friendly. Building a user-friendly and intuitive interface that prioritizes accessibility and ease of use.

Development and testing: building the app, ensuring security, functionality, and performance. This step ensures the implementation of robust security measures to protect sensitive patient data, provision of API integration, and rigorous testing on various devices and operating systems to ensure functionality and user experience.

Deployment and maintenance: launching the app and providing ongoing updates and support. Improve the app by addressing user feedback, fixing bugs, and adding new features.

Popular examples of patient engagement mobile apps

A wide variety of patient engagement mobile apps are available, each with unique features and functionalities. Some famous examples include:

• MyChart: the app from Epic Systems allows patients to view their medical records, arrange appointments, and communicate with their doctors.
• Apple Health: a pre-installed app on iPhone helps users track their health data, such as steps, sleep, and heart rate.
• WebMD: the app provides patients health information, symptom checkers, and medication reminders.

There are a lot of other patient engagement mobile apps, each catering to different aspects of healthcare and wellness. Their application areas include appointment scheduling, medical management, chronic disease management, telehealth, and mental health.

Conclusion

Custom patient engagement mobile app development offers a powerful way to improve patient experience, communication, and health outcomes. However, carefully consider the cost, time, and resources involved. By carefully planning, partnering with the right team, and focusing on user needs, you can create a custom app that makes a real difference for your patients.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) test call season is right around the corner, which means prospective beneficiary call centers are bracing themselves for the Accuracy & Accessibility Study.

The Accuracy & Accessibility Study is part of the CMS Star Ratings program and includes test calls that are made by CMS “secret shoppers” every year between February and June. The purpose of the test calls is to measure the accuracy of the information provided to a prospective beneficiary as well as the accessibility of interpreters in French, Spanish, Vietnamese, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Tagalog. The test callers ask a series of questions related to the plan’s policy, which an interpreter must interpret quickly and accurately.

While call center performance represents a small portion of an organization’s Star Rating, a lower rating can mean the loss of millions of dollars in reimbursements. Star Ratings are also a marker of plan quality and published on the Medicare Pathfinder (MP); if a plan receives a score of fewer than 3 stars for three years in a row, the plan is flagged with a low-performing icon. Medicare Advantage plans that receive a 5-star rating can enroll beneficiaries and market their products year-round.

Preparing for CMS test call season requires strategy, training, and a close-knit partnership with your organization’s language services partner, but the process doesn’t have to feel like a black box. Here’s how you can set your organization up for success.

Equip Your Agents for Success

It’s a stressful season, and you want your agents to feel at ease and confident that they’re armed with the knowledge and support they need to succeed.

• Set expectations with agents. Clarify their roles, goals, and performance expectations so they know exactly what’s expected of them and how they can contribute during CMS test season.
• Ensure that agents can quickly identify a CMS test call. Train teams to recognize the signs that a call is actually a test call—for example, overly scripted language or formulaic questions.
• Collect and share past questions. Because many questions are recycled from one year to another, it can be helpful to collect questions asked during past test call seasons to help your teams make a quick ID. Pass these along to your language services provider as well.
• Furnish agents with informational scripts. This can help them facilitate communication intended to educate and answer prospective beneficiary questions, even if an interpreter is not needed.
• Ensure that agents know how to access help. Make sure that they understand how to quickly and efficiently loop an interpreter in and that they have ample support during calls.

Reinforce Your Call Center Operations

While agents play a critical role in answering CMS auditor questions and looping in an interpreter when needed, their success hinges on the processes you put in place in the call center.

• Ensure that your organization is listed accurately on the Health Plan Management System (HPMS) list, which CMS uses to make test calls. Verify your toll-free beneficiary call center numbers, toll-free pharmacy help desk numbers, and current and prospective enrollee toll-free TTY numbers. Inaccurate phone numbers can cause you to receive poor results on the measures.
• Periodically review your call center’s internal processes, policies, and training protocols to make sure they’re up-to-date and reflect best practices. This includes things like establishing a phone line dedicated to your CMS calls and implementing an internal monitoring program to verify that every call your agents handle—regardless of whether the beneficiary needs an interpreter—is up to par.
• Staff up during test call season. Ensure that you are adequately staffing your call center during CMS-designated “usual business hours,” so your agents can answer test calls promptly.

Choose Your Language Services Provider Wisely

Whether you already have a partner in place or are evaluating potential partners, you should ensure that your language services provider is experienced with CMS call monitoring requirements.

• Ensure that your language services provider takes test call season just as seriously as you do. Learn more about the organization’s approach to supporting health plan clients before, during, and after CMS test call season. Look for a partner who has a comprehensive year-round program focused around CMS that targets not just interpreters but also their call center.
• Work with an organization that has a proven track record. A seasoned language services provider will not only be knowledgeable about CMS regulations, but will also staff interpreters who are familiar with CMS terms and test calls, able to correctly interpret and completely relay Medicare program information, and comfortable with protocols to ask for repetition or clarification to ensure accuracy.
• Make sure your partner has the right resources in place. Ensure that your partner has ample interpreters in the six languages required by CMS—including Tagalog, which can be difficult to staff for—and who are familiar with the precise terminology the auditor will be listening for.
• Evaluate the provider’s quality assurance (QA) processes, particularly around CMS calls. They should expect—and be willing—to take part in regular calibration sessions to review any calls that failed.
• Use the CMS test call season to bolster your relationship with your language services provider. Your relationship should be a collaboration, one that doesn’t end when test call season does. Share your test call results with your partner, so they can better decide where to put more resources to help you perform at your best next year.

Above all, ensure that everyone—from your operations managers and your agents to your language services provider—understands the critical importance of the CMS test call season. The process is designed to advance health equity, improve quality, and help eliminate health care disparities—and it can also impact your organization’s bottom line. By taking steps to prepare your agents, call center, and language services provider, you can feel confident that you’re putting your best foot forward.

About the Author

Kristin Quinlan serves as CEO of Certified Languages International (CLI), a U.S.-based, on-demand interpreting company founded in 1996. Kristin joined the company in 1999, rising to CEO in 2006. With over 250 employees and thousands of professional interpreters, CLI is a full-service language company specializing in remote interpreting services over phone and video in 230+ languages, servicing 20,000–30,000 calls per day. Thousands of organizations across the country rely on CLI to help them communicate with a growing demographic of limited English proficient (LEP) speakers in every industry, including financial institutions, call centers, insurance companies, government agencies, court systems, schools, healthcare systems and medical clinics, pharmacies, utilities, telecommunications, technology, retail, and technology companies. Under Kristin’s leadership, CLI isn’t just a provider of interpreter services, but an advocate fighting for the greater good of comprehensive language access.

About Certified Languages International

Established in 1996, Certified Languages International (CLI) provides fast and easy 24/7 access to 2,500+ professional interpreters over phone and video in 230+ languages, servicing up to 30,000 calls per day. Interpreters with industry-specific knowledge are carefully selected and stringently vetted to ensure they can provide effective communication between parties who speak different languages, which can help build trust between businesses and their clients. In addition to remote interpreting services, CLI offers a virtual interpreter call center solution, document translation in 100+ languages, transcription (audio, video, and Braille), and assessments for bilingual proficiency and interpreter skills. The company’s exemplary language services are complemented by its commitment to collaborative partnerships with clients, high-touch support, and extraordinary customer service. CLI isn’t just a provider of interpreter services but also an advocate fighting for the greater good of comprehensive language access.

The call came in early Sunday morning: “Our systems are down after a cyber-incident, and we need to get our contact centre back up immediately. Our customers cannot phone us, which is a major problem as all our other systems are down, so we are completely cut off.”

This was the desperate plea from a major, global healthcare solutions company – and one of our customers here at Sabio – after a devastating ransomware attack had crippled their internal IT infrastructure. This attack took down their on-premise contact centre, resulting in them having no access to critical customer data and communications. It was a nightmare scenario.

Our customer took immediate action – shutting down certain systems and seeking assistance from external cybersecurity and forensic IT experts. But what about the contact centre solution that is vital to its operations?

This is where Sabio comes into the picture. And we had a plan…

Within hours of that distress call, our team spun up a 100-seat cloud-based contact centre solution ready to support multiple European countries powered by the Twilio Flex platform.

By the start of business Monday morning, our client’s customers throughout Europe could once again reach service agents, thanks to Sabio’s quick action, extensive contact centre knowledge and the flexibility of the cloud.

The Sabio Advantage 

Our preparedness was no accident. We maintain detailed playbooks for these exact crisis scenarios and recently helped a multinational home emergency repairs and improvement specialist following a similar cyber incident earlier in 2023.

On that occasion, Sabio launched new Contact Centre Platforms in the UK and US within 24 hours after a cyber-attack hit the Home Emergency Specialist’s outsourced contact centre platform provider. The speed and agility shown by Sabio meant customer service was maintained, and policyholders continued to receive the support they needed.

Whether due to ransomware, natural disasters or simple human error, we know that system outages, even in public cloud solutions can occur. But with the right cloud-based tools and experience, we can get customers back online by providing replacement contact centre and automation solutions in a matter of hours, not days or weeks.

In this most recent case, we provided a complete and modern cloud contact centre platform, including identity management provision (including Multi-Factor Authentication), within 8 hours. This enabled secure agent access from anywhere (i.e. the agent’s homes) without reliance on existing potentially compromised credentials. It was the fastest and most resilient way to restore customer service capabilities.

A Cautionary Tale

The attack on our customer, a Fortune 500 company and S&P 500 member, shows that no organisation is immune to the growing threat of cyber-attacks.

Between January and March 2023, Sophos – a cybersecurity software specialist – commissioned an independent survey of 3,000 IT/cybersecurity leaders employed by organisations operating across 14 countries. It found that it cost companies on average $1.82 million to recover from a ransomware attack — and that doesn’t even include paying a ransom. For companies with annual revenue of less than $10 million, the average cost of recovery was $165,520. For companies with annual revenue greater than $5 billion, the average cost of recovery approached $5 million. On top of all this, 84% of private sector organisations hit by ransomware said the attack had caused them to lose revenue as a result of lost business opportunities.

So, whether for large enterprises or small businesses, the need for preparedness and business continuity planning has never been greater. Events that seemed unthinkable years ago are now lurking around every corner.

At Sabio, we make it our business to implement contact centre technology and truly understand your business and customer journeys. We’ll work with you to identify and create contingency plans should the worst-case scenario happen, and your customers need peace of mind you’re on top of it.

And if the worst does indeed happen – and it can happen to anyone – you can trust us to bring calm, confident and rapid support when needed. That’s the Sabio way.

Don’t wait until you’re pleading for urgent help on a Sunday morning.

Reach out today, and let’s build cyber resilience and contact centre business continuity plans together. Your customers are counting on it…

In the meantime, read in full how we helped another customer, a multinational home emergency repairs and improvement specialist, recover after a cyber-attack rendered their contact centre platform inactive in the UK and US.

About the Author

Rob Scutchings is Chief Technology Officer at Sabio Group.

Sabio Group is a global digital customer experience (CX) transformation specialist with major operations in the UK (England and Scotland), Spain, France, Netherlands, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa and India.

The Group, which includes ‘makepositive’, delivers solutions and services that seamlessly combine digital and human interactions to support exceptional customer experiences.

Through its own technology, and that of world-class technology leaders such as Avaya, Genesys, Verint, Twilio, Google, Amazon and Salesforce, Sabio helps organisations optimise their customer journeys by making better decisions across their multiple contact channels.

The Group works with major brands worldwide, including Aegon, AXA Assistance, Bankia, BBVA, BGL, Caixabank, DHL, loveholidays, Marks & Spencer, Rentokil, Essent, GovTech, HomeServe, Sainsbury’s Argos, Telefónica, Think Money and Transcom Worldwide.

Customer experience (CX) in healthcare is how patients perceive their interactions with healthcare providers.

A positive approach to improve customer experience assures the company’s growth in terms of revenue and building brand loyalty.

Healthcare is one of the fastest-growing industries. Ever since the global pandemic, this industry has seen numerous technological and medical advancements. It is constantly evolving and adapting to new changes with the changing times. Being a highly competitive sector, healthcare providers need to keep up with the ever-evolving preferences of the customers and ensure superior customer experience across touchpoints.

This blog discusses six ways to improve customer experience in healthcare.

1. Educate and empower company representatives

Customer experience in healthcare widely depends on the quality of interaction between your customers and the employees. Training and educating your customer support representatives with the proper knowledge and equipping them with the right resources like customer service scripts is crucial to delivering satisfactory customer service.

Customer service reps on the frontline, interacting with the customers, are in a very crucial position. They perceive and communicate customer expectations, moods, and perceptions. Therefore, customer service agent need to be empowered with better resources and knowledge, which will help them uncover patient pain points. Once the patient pain points are discovered, the customer service reps can solve the problems more swiftly, thus improve customer experience. For expert guidance on marketing and communications strategies to enhance your healthcare brand’s customer experience, visit Golden Arrow for tailored solutions and insights.

Providing the best medical experience is a challenge for all healthcare providers. Customers are demanding and have expectations which, when not satisfied, will result in them switching to another healthcare provider. This is why fostering brand loyalty in customers is so important. When the problems put forth by the patients are solved quickly, and as effortlessly as possible, it is more likely for the customer to return to the same healthcare provider. Further in the blog, we have discussed more ways to foster customer brand loyalty.

2. Scale customer support via digital channels

Technological advancement is one of the best ways to improve customer experience. Moving to a digital system to engage better with patients is now an essential part of a successful and improved customer experience strategy.

In the healthcare industry, technology strengthens patient loyalty and increases revenues. Data analytics continues to provide a personalised experience to improve overall care and wellness for the patient. AI is also lending a helping hand in the industry. Another is chatbot integration, speeding up and simplifying queues that can lead to quick responses and solutions for patients. There’s also the rise of telehealth channels and online portals that offer convenient virtual consultations.

Every healthcare provider has a huge amount of critical patient data and knowledge from within the organisation. This data is crucial not only to the organisation but also to the patients. Therefore, managing such a vast amount of information is vital. This data can be contained better with digital tools like knowledge management tools. Collecting and protecting data is a key to providing your customers with a streamlined healthcare experience.

This is where knowledge management software comes in handy. When the reps have proper and timely access to right customer service information, they can provide the most accurate and beneficial care according to the customers’ needs. Also, using digital technologies makes responses quicker and thus increases the speed of the whole procedure of problem-solving. Patients won’t get too anxious or frustrated about waiting for hours to get their problems solved. Quicker and more accurate responses will always give a positive and improve customer experience.

Customer self-service opportunities should be enhanced. Since the pandemic, most things have been made online, from making appointments to consultations with the doctor to telemedicine.

A study by Cisco found that up to 74% of patients are happy to communicate with their doctor virtually rather than seeing them in person. AI systems like chatbots with quicker and more accurate responses can be used to make it easier for customers. Chatbots also help ease the tedious and repetitive jobs of customer care executives. This reduces human errors and improves customer experience.

3. Ensure the privacy and security of patient data

Security, privacy, and regulatory compliance are essential in healthcare. Transparency should be maintained as it helps build trust amongst the customers towards the organisation. With the amount of data that customers need to share in this industry, from health care records to payments, it is only legitimate for them to worry about their privacy.

Proper digital management tools should be used to maintain and secure these data as it is imperative to secure the customers’ data. There are countless cases where customers get scammed online; therefore, providing a better and more secure privacy facility helps gain customers’ trust.

With digital innovation, malpractices have increased. This is another reason for customers to be worried about their data. Make sure malpractices are avoided. Since patients entrust crucial information to the organisation, providing essential security is very important.

4. Follow-up care

Customer service executives should be good listeners. Only upon hearing the problems in detail will they be able to solve them accurately. Talking your customers through their queries and concerns to uncover root causes and pain points is essential as it will help solve the problem more efficiently. Customer experience in this industry also means providing customers with a better and healthier life; therefore, patients should always be shown empathy.

Empathising with your customers helps win their trust. And by empathising with your customers, you will understand their problems better, thus, making it easy to find a solution to their problems.

Follow-up care is an important step to ensure a positive customer experience. Doing follow-up calls and emails, checking in on the patient’s health and if the medicines provided were helpful, and personalising interactions is a strategy that helps create a brand perception amongst the customers.

Patients always want and expect individualised care from healthcare providers; therefore, engaging better with your customers is essential. Better patient engagements help strengthen patient loyalty and thus increase revenues. Taking feedback is a significant step in building brand perception.

5. Personalise patient interaction across touchpoints

 In this era, patients expect better outcomes and improved access to care. Therefore, every patient interaction throughout the customer journey should be personalised, especially  medicine. Personalization, where improving customer experience depends on how well you know your customers and how secure they are in your service, makes customer experience smoother, strengthening the bond between the healthcare provider and the customer.

Personalization in healthcare can now go so far as to predict potential health risks and provide round-the-clock remote live assistance. As a result, customer loyalty and business profits have increased.

Patients may choose an independent practice  for a more personalised patient experience. The patient should understand that you value them as individuals and want them to have a positive experience in your organisation. The desktop facility is the first step to personalising interactions.

Scheduling appointments should be made as hassle-free as possible. Customers should be encouraged to do more website visits to  help them reap the benefits of remote assistance in the comfort of their homes and even take appointments online.

Instead of using automated or recorded calls, agents should sincerely take responsibility for follow-up care. Agents should be readily available on all platforms to connect with the customers. Emails, WhatsApp, phones, and every channel of interaction should be used strategically to personalise customer interactions to give your customers the proper care and experience.

6. Provide a better atmosphere for patient treatment

The interaction and understanding between patients and doctors should be made more accessible. Doctors should have ready access to patient data to provide better and more accurate consultations. Telemedicine services should also be used. This will create patient-centric management that will provide a positive customer experience. Billing facilities and insurance should also be made more convenient.

Having a clean and hassle-free environment on the hospital premises is also essential. It causes a good impression and helps in conducting the effortless movement of the procedures. Machineries and other equipment should be sanitised, sterilised, and updated. It is seen that most customers tend to return to the healthcare provider who has updated tools and machinery that help in quicker and more efficient responses. Improving Customer experience is all about taking your customers’ preferences and feedback and bettering your service based on that.

Conclusion

Customer service is critical in all industries, but none more than in health care. When we are most vulnerable, healthcare professionals come to our aid. Quality medical care delivered by highly competent professionals is undeniably a part of exceptional customer service in the healthcare industry. By emphasising the importance of the customer experience, healthcare leaders can strategically deploy resources to create positive brand experiences and customer retention.

As healthcare options grow, hospital customer service has emerged as a strong brand differentiator. We should remember that hospitals prioritising patient satisfaction are more likely to be chosen, trusted, and referred. As mentioned earlier, healthcare is a customer service industry; thus, healthcare providers must understand the difference between a mediocre customer experience and a  superior customer experience. And with understanding that they can employ the right strategies to build a solid customer base with a positive and improve customer experience.

Customers of health-related products—such as over-the-counter medicines, dietary supplements, nutraceuticals, medical devices, wearables, and animal health products—typically have higher expectations of manufacturers than do users of other types of consumer products.

Healthcare customer care differs from traditional customer service (for industries such as insurance, banking, and utilities) but they share certain fundamental elements:

• Both are designed to enhance the customer experience by providing support when needed, with the goal of deepening loyalty.

• Both depend on having the right specialists in place, who are trained and coached the right way, and are provided with the right technology.

• For both, services can be enhanced by utilizing a blend of self-service (for routine inquiries and requests) and live support.

• The importance of a healthy company culture—in which the specialists feel they are supported and part of something worthwhile—cannot be overstated for either customer care or customer service.

For healthcare products, contact with customers requires a higher degree of training and skill as well as an understanding of regulatory compliance requirements. A few other points of differentiation between healthcare customer care and traditional customer service:

• More insight into the “voice of the customer.” The ability to recognize, capture and report customers’ perceptions of the manufacturer and its products is an important marketing and planning tool. The data can impact process or policy changes and alter marketing initiatives.

• Proactive outreach. Routinely reaching out to customers with whom a relationship has been established is an important part of a healthcare customer care program, as it improves the customer experience and increases retention. Outreach must be conducted in a compliant way: only after permission is obtained through writing or via a recording, with the ability to opt-out of being contacted at any time, and the right to have all personal information removed from the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) database upon request.

• Recognition, documentation, and submission of adverse events and product complaints. It is critical that the team has the ability to recognize reportable health-related adverse events, understand the regulatory requirements, and follow the associated standard operating procedures. Additionally, product complaints (along with potential product replacements) must be handled according to standard operating procedures.

• Product recall support. A healthcare customer care program must have a tested plan in place to handle the influx of contacts that results from a product recall or market withdrawal. Being prepared can turn potential bad publicity into a positive brand image. 

There are important considerations when implementing and leading a healthcare customer care program:

• Hiring to the right profile. The program should have a specialist profile, including educational and prior experience requirements, based on the scope and complexity of the support provided.

• Training and certification. Initial training should be comprehensive, with each element presented by a subject matter expert. Role plays—which emphasize call handling skills as well as technical knowledge—should be conducted throughout the training. Certification, through the handling and documentation of “typical” contacts in a test environment, should take place before any live contact is handled.

• Omni-channel communication. Because of the likelihood of ongoing communication between customers and specialists, all possible “channel” preferences should be met: inbound and outbound phone calls, email, traditional mail, webchat, text messaging, online fax, and video calls. Interactive voice response technology with a self-service option should be in place to answer simple questions and handle routine requests.

• Documentation of contacts. All customer care contacts should be documented in flexible and robust CRM database. Because the “voice of the customer” is so important (and can supplement or even replace market research activities), the CRM should be configured to produce clear and actionable data which allows for the easy identification of insights and trends. From an operational perspective, the CRM should have a scheduling component for outbound calls and allow for integration with touchpoints that exist outside of the CRM.

• Ability to Escalate. In healthcare customer care, it is essential that the specialists are trained to recognize when escalation outside of the team is needed. For example, if product tampering is suspected, it’s key for the right information to be collected, documented, and immediately transmitted to the right functional group within the manufacturer.

• Flexibility. There are likely to be both expected and unexpected changes in contact volumes, and a plan to handle spikes should be in place. The details will differ, but can include staffing the team with a number of part-time specialists who can increase their hours as needed, and increasing the use of self-service technology (as long as it doesn’t diminish the customer experience).

A healthcare customer care team can successfully reside within the manufacturer’s organization or be outsourced to a 3^rd party healthcare contact center. The implementation and ongoing management require careful planning and impeccable execution, which can be a significant expense in terms of time and costs. However, the additional insight into the voice of the customer and the potential to deepen loyalty makes it a worthwhile endeavor.

About the Authors

Denise Dixon is Global COO at Diligent Health Solutions. Denise has nearly 20 years of senior-level leadership experience at Diligent Health Solutions and its predecessor company, WRB Communications. She has partnered with dozens of clients in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries to meet their strategic communication needs through innovative and impactful solutions. As Global Chief Operating Officer, Denise leads our operational and client services functional areas. She gains a deep understanding of client goals and objectives and leverages our expertise and resources to design, implement, and continually enhance programs that exceed client expectations.

Contact Denise Dixon at ddixon@diligenthealthsolutions.com or visit https://diligenthealthsolutions.com.

Terrence Tormey has nearly 50 years of Sales and Marketing experience in global pharmaceutical and OTC product markets. He is the founder and CEO of the Tormey Consulting Group and the immediate past CEO of Xenon-VR Inc., an emerging medical device company. Terrence is a Fellow of the American College of Health Care Trustees (FACHT) and is on the Board of Advisors for Neuropathix and Intrommune Therapeutics. He is also a Member of the Board of Advisors at MedSign International Corporation, which delivers enhanced home healthcare services via the patient’s television.

Contact Terrence Tormey at terrencetormey@gmail.com or visit https://diligenthealthsolutions.com.

Can patient portals improve your clinic’s overall performance? We look at the pros and cons below.

Picture this: You have a new patient come in for a consultation. As the health care provider, you try to find out a patient’s medical history through a series of questions. It takes a while to get to the bottom of things in order to see the bigger picture and recommend an appropriate remedy. The next thing you know, you’re going over your allotted time per patient. This causes delays and long wait times that affect both patients and health care providers.

Enter the patient portal software—a new tool utilized by service providers to improve client satisfaction and streamline clinic activities. We take a closer look below at the platform, and its pros and cons.

A closer look

A patient portal software is an online tool where patients—and health care providers alike—can track medical history, medications, lab results, and other necessary information. Through this, patients can easily schedule appointments while service providers are able to get a glimpse of a patient’s overall health.

Fortunately, online tools like Demandforce provide end-to-end solutions for your business—from appointment scheduling, schedule reminders, to even patient portals provisions.

Key Benefits

Patient portal software provides numerous benefits for your practice. This includes:

Better communication between patients and healthcare providers

With an online portal, patients can book an appointment anytime, anywhere, and can get a hold of your office at their most convenient time. This minimizes multiple exchanges with your front desk to find a common schedule.

Another way it improves customer engagement is through appointment reminders. Reminding patients of their upcoming visits prevent last-minute cancellations and can aid in establishing better client relationships.

 Overview of appointments

A patient portal software provides your business and your clients a dashboard where you can view upcoming appointments. Patients can even request and confirm appointments from different service providers directly on the platform.

 Direct messaging

Need to request a refill for your prescribed medication? Or do you need to send your service provider access to your lab results? All of that is possible with Demandforce’s secure messaging function where service providers and patients can directly send messages to each other.

Challenges

Some patients may not be as tech-savvy

While this can be beneficial for their overall medical journey, some patients may need assistance in navigating the platform. And if your business is consistently dealing with patients who are not as tech-savvy, it’s important to consider the user interface of the platform. Simple, straightforward, and user-friendly software should always be your best bet.

 Patients may be apprehensive to have their medical records stored online

Having personal data stored online makes some clients apprehensive to use digital platforms. When picking a patient portal software, make sure that they can provide a secure platform that can prevent data breaches. Also, don’t forget to be transparent with your patients that their information will only be used to improve their experience with your business.

Final Thoughts

Of course, obtaining software solutions like this is an investment and needs to be considered. Ease of use, user interface, user experience, and security for your staff and your patients are important factors as well. While not all platforms can address your concerns, operationalizing and streamlining your current process can provide overall benefits to your practice.

Declining reimbursements, increased overhead, patient overload and the rush to litigation are but a few of the reasons to “sweat the small stuff” in the medical arena. If you don’t think you need to pay attention to the details when it comes to making your patients happy as well as healthy, think again. If ever there was a time to mind your medical manners, it’s now.

Good medical manners and proper office etiquette can make a significant difference in how physicians and their staff are viewed by their patients. If patients feel valued by their physicians and have positive interactions with staff, they are more likely to become longtime loyal customers. Yes, patients are customers. If your patients don’t return, it may not be because they have recovered. It may be they went somewhere else where they are treated with consideration.

It stands to reason that a happy patient is a healthier patient. If everyone in a physician’s practice takes the time to make patients feel appreciated, those people on whom you rely to build your practice will come back time and again and will refer others. Kindness, courtesy and respect are the right treatment for all patients. No one is allergic.

Let me suggest ten basic rules of etiquette that can have a positive effect on patient satisfaction and outcomes:

1. Stop, look and listen. This rule does not simply apply to railroad crossings. While doctors can rarely spare as much time with patients as they once did, the people they treat need not wonder if their doctor is wearing a stop watch or has set an alarm on his Apple watch.
2. Make eye contact with patients. It is sometimes hard to give the patient your direct attention while managing the requirements of the practice technology. Look at your patients, not the computer. Pay attention to their body language as well as their vital signs. If your computer is positioned so that you have to turn away from the patient, reconfigure its placement.
3. When you ask critical questions, pay attention to the answers. Practice good listening skills like nodding at the person, repeating what you heard and paraphrasing what was said. Don’t interrupt or try to finish someone’s sentence. You might miss valuable information.
4. Practice professional meeting and greeting. From your initial encounter with patients, show warmth and friendliness. Honor people by shaking their hand.
5. Use the patient’s name immediately. Address people by their title and last name until you receive permission to call them by their first name. While some people prefer informality, others may be offended.
6. Introduce yourself. That may sound silly, but people shouldn’t have to guess if you are the doctor or another member of the staff.
7. Let patients know what to expect after you leave the room. What is going to happen next? Who will give follow up instructions?
8. Your attire is important. If you choose to ditch the white coat, your appearance should still be impeccable—neat, clean and pressed.
9. Know what goes on in your office at all levels. You may not think it is your job to know what your patients experience from the time they walk into your office, but it is. This is no time to make assumptions. Ask for feedback from patients and staff.
10. Invest time and money in training your employees. Soft skills are important. While interpersonal skills may not seem as critical as clinical skills in a physician’s practice, without them there soon may be no patients to treat.

People have choices about where they go for their medical care; you want that to be your office.

About the Author

Lydia Ramsey helps organizations attract and retain clients through the simple practice of modern manners and the basic principles of courtesy, kindness and respect. © Lydia Ramsey. All rights in all media reserved.