In the past, most people didn’t expect much from their doctor’s office: outdated magazines, sterile environments, long wait times, etc. Providing a positive patient experience wasn’t high on the priority list. Today, however, we all know that in order to keep patients, especially in the competitive field of elective surgery, they need to be treated in a manner that gives them confidence in the doctors and in the practice as a whole.
Data may just be the way to foster and maintain patient satisfaction.
Data can run the gamut from physician training to patient information to connectivity. Here are 6 ways data will improve the field of healthcare:
- Data about patient history. When doctors have access to a patient’s full medical history, they can more accurately predict future illnesses or risks of developing certain diseases. Preventative measures can then be taken to bypass these conditions and keep patients healthier longer. Having this knowledge up front may also eliminate the need for patients to go through the time-consuming tasks of completing pre-visit paperwork and having to repeat information during visits.
- Data about patient preferences. Your patients lead busy, over-scheduled lives. Making trips to the doctor – especially for elective surgeries – takes valuable time from their days. The more you can personalize the doctor/patient interaction, taking time to give patients unique care that meets their needs, the happier they will be. If you can offer treatment or follow-ups via the phone or through telemedicine, your patients may choose this form of communication. If some patients prefer a lengthy face-to-face appointment, this can be noted in their patient data so a longer block of time can be scheduled for the appointment.
- Data from patient feedback. If the inside reality of your practice does not match up to patients’ outside perception, your practice will suffer. For example, you may think that your practice has a friendly staff but then learn through reviews that they are actually rude to patients or disregard their needs. This type of knowledge will become apparent from patient feedback that is gathered from online reviews of your practice. (People are far more vocal behind the keyboard than they are in person.) By continually reviewing this data, responding swiftly to it and implementing changes to correct your problem areas, you will be able to turn those negative reviews into positive ones.
- Data for physician training. Augmented reality training can help physicians gain the expertise they need to treat a wider variety of conditions. Rather than traveling long distances or waiting for courses to become available, the data contained in augmented reality training can expand the ability to learn new skills when it is convenient for them. This will become especially important for rural doctors that may not have the resources to travel or the additional help to leave their practices for extended periods. The information provided in these courses may be superior to simply reading clinical studies.
- Data from wearable technology devices. Patients are becoming more involved in their overall health and well-being. By wearing devices that can monitor things like blood pressure and physical activity – and having these results be directly connected to their doctor – red flag warnings can be signaled as early as possible so appropriate actions can be taken. The data collected by and communicated from these devices may just be life saving for some patients.
- Data from in-office technology devices. Medical technology is continually evolving to provide smarter care for patients. Data collected about patients can be used in smart beds to keep patients as comfortable as possible while also arranging them in the right position for their unique condition. Robots can be programmed to continually monitor patient data in the absence of a trained nurse and signal warnings when necessary. Even digital signs or e-boards in waiting rooms and screen-mirroring technology during consultations can improve the overall experience and provide for better patient education.
There is a seemingly endless array of ways that data can be harvested and used to improve the patient experience. If your practice would like to start exploring different methods to use data, but you are not sure how to start, it may be time to partner with an organization that can offer your practice a full scope of help.
Advantage Healthcare Consulting, a division of Advantage Administration, offers a Management Services Organization (MSO) that has partnered with a large variety of companies that offer healthcare services and products. The benefit of joining our MSO is that practices of any size can gain access to these high-quality companies by taking advantage of large group pricing. Members get group discount pricing on things like medical or financial advisory services, telemedicine, IT/EMR applications, medical supplies, medical billing services, marketing services and much more.
To learn more about the savings available, contact Advantage Healthcare Consulting today.