How Telehealth Can Improve Access to Care in 2021
Telehealth has changed healthcare forever and has significantly affected the practice o...
April 9, 2019
Providers are constantly searching for methods to increase patient engagement and improve the patient experience. When patients are actively engaging with their providers, they are involved in the necessary communication and collaboration it takes to maintain a healthy lifestyle and improve health outcomes. Providers who are pursuing high levels of patient satisfaction see their revenue develop rapidly. It takes more in 2023 than in the past to keep patients engaged and pleased with their care. Patients need the proper tools that meet them where they are in life and help simplify the process of maintaining a relationship with their provider. These tools include things like the patient portal, online billing services, appointment reminders, the mobile app, and telehealth. Telehealth is one of the most advantageous tools for patients in terms of helping them stay connected to their providers. Telehealth offers multiple solutions to problems that patients have faced for years. It offers convenient alternatives to traditional medical care. And it presents providers with the opportunity to help their patients in a unique and exciting way. Here are 4 ways that Telehealth improves the patient experience.
The phrase “healthcare is expensive” probably strikes a chord for most who hear it. Telehealth offers a solution for many patients who are battling the costs associated with their providers in multiple different ways. For some patients, this means no longer having to spend money on traveling to and from their provider. This might not sound like a difficult or cost-consuming task, but for patients living in Primary Care Deserts, this cost is enough to make them avoid their physician and put themselves at risk. For patients who must travel long distances, this means they have to take time off work, spend more funds on gas then they normally would, and pay their copay on top of any other associated medical costs. Telehealth eliminates any travel costs. Instead, the patient can visit with their provider from an electronic device in a secure Telehealth visit. This takes a fraction of the time, allowing them their normal day. This not only improves the patient experience by meeting the patient where they are at, but it encourages the patient to schedule regular visits, improving their health outcomes.
Providers are no stranger to the digital age, whether it be medical technology or elsewhere. Telehealth is an efficient solution for patients who are eager to move away from traditional medical care and experience something modern and more in line with the rest of their life. By utilizing Telehealth, patients are able to choose exactly when they want to visit with their provider instead of falling victim to the limited space of a provider’s office. Providers can see more patients in a day, not only returning time back to the practice, but to the patients who resent spending all day in the waiting room. Care delivery is no hassle with telehealth. Patients simply log in to their HIPAA compliant appointment, visit with their provider, and move forward with their treatment plan.
In terms of patient satisfaction and patient engagement, one of the most important things a provider can do is make their patient feel important. Patients who feel as though they are a priority to their provider also feel an increased sense of trust and dependence on their physician. Improvements in these areas lead to patients asking more questions, visiting more often, scheduling annual exams and tests, and communicating issues and concerns. Many tools influence how a patient connects to their provider. For example, the patient portal helps the patient ask questions and helps the provider answer them quickly. These quick responses result in the patient feeling like the provider cares about the patient’s questions and concerns. Similarly, the efficient nature of Telehealth helps the patient feel like the provider is eager to assist them with their health concerns and get them on track. This relationship development leads to a positive patient experience where the patient keeps coming back.
Telehealth is not the newest tool in the field, but it is one of the most advantageous and dependable tools that helps providers increase patient engagement and patient satisfaction. Not only will accomplishing these things improve patient outcomes, but it will improve other areas of the practice, like revenue, as well. Finding the right Telehealth vendor is key. To learn more about what makes a quality telehealth vendor, click here.