5 ways to reduce patient wait times and increase healthcare access

How hospital marketers can rewrite the waiting game

There aren’t many constants in life. Things often change with the ebb and flow of time, technology, the economy, etc. What always seems to stay the same, however, are patient wait times. If you’ve ever been a patient, either at a hospital or private practice, then you know the rules of the waiting game. You have to wait to schedule an appointment, wait until the day of your appointment, wait in a “waiting room,” you even have to wait in the exam room. We live in an on-demand world — where you can deposit a check using an app or order toilet paper with the click of a button. Why haven’t we figured out a better way to reduce patient wait times and create greater access to healthcare?

We recognize an opportunity for you to revolutionize the waiting game. New tools and technology are emerging every day that you can embrace to ease the burden of waiting. This falls into the category of providing a better patient experience. Superior customer service leads to better customer satisfaction. By improving your wait times, you can boost your organization’s reputation and make it even more accessible.

Here are five ways to reduce wait times and increase access:

Online appointment scheduling

Did you know that 77 percent of patients think that the ability to book, change or cancel appointments online is important? Only 40% of the top healthcare systems are offering self-scheduling. Online appointment scheduling tools make sense for the healthcare industry on multiple levels. First, it enables consumers to schedule an appointment on their own time, regardless of your organization’s hours. Second, research shows an open scheduling format can help eliminate the need to increase staff, create longer work hours or other drastic measures that can overwhelm physicians. “Plug and play” scheduling software is available with the ability to demo before making a commitment. We suggest you check it out.

Telemedicine

Some patients would rather chat with their doctor without leaving the comfort of their home, especially younger generations. A 2015 Salesforce study reported that 60 percent of millennials are interested in using telehealth to communicate with their doctors. With smartphone technology more ubiquitous than ever, it’s easier to provide this type of care. Telemedicine has benefits for providers, too. Primary care physicians in rural and coastal areas are stretched thin. Telemedicine tools such as FaceTime allows them to communicate with their patients in a more efficient manner and in very little time.

Automation

Automation tools such as email automation or automated text messaging can come in handy for staff members tasked with reminding patients about upcoming appointments. Handing off tedious projects to automation software can free up time for the front desk staff or clinicians. They can focus on the consumer’s needs instead of someone else’s. Not to mention, automation tools can also be used to collect insightful data about your patients, which you could leverage to create even greater access to your hospital or health system.

Apps

Even the most basic healthcare apps can save your organization time. Some general hospital apps offer functionalities such an overview of your hospital or practice, ER wait times, virtual tours and access to health records. More advanced apps can send push notifications about appointment reminders, offer compliance tracking, procedure prep protocols, etc. Think about all the time your healthcare organization can save with an app that can keep track of your patient’s health and update it in real time.

Customer service

Although this has less to do with technology and more to do with people, it’s worth mentioning. Sometimes patients have to wait; there’s no way around it. Many factors go into a delay, such as a patient shows up late, or a doctor discovers something that takes priority. Make sure the front desk staff is trained to deal with situations like these. For patients to feel welcomed and respected, it’s important that the staff keep them informed about wait times. Offer them some reassurance about when they will be seen and be honest about why there’s a delay. For more tips, check out this post that a coworker wrote about customer service.

Hospitals and other healthcare brands can actively work to be more accessible and revolutionize the waiting game. We’re happy to help. Schedule an appointment with an expert to learn more about how you can reduce wait times and increase access.