January 5, 2024 | 5-minute read

2024 Ins & Outs: What Practices Need to Know to Increase Patient Satisfaction and Efficiency

Simple Ways to Increase Patient Satisfaction and Improve Staff Efficiency

Making small changes can simplify tasks and slash costs while keeping staff and patients happy

In order to succeed in a competitive healthcare market and improve patient acquisition, access, and revenue, healthcare leaders need to stay ahead of the game when it comes to innovation. Looking back at the past year, we’ve seen successful groups make changes that hade a significant impact, emphasizing the importance of understanding the emerging workflows that will shape 2024. So, let’s dive into the workflows and tools that are “in” and those that are “out.”

Here's the "Outs" you should be avoiding ...

#1 - Using clipboards and paper forms

Embrace the future – it’s paperless, it’s swift, it’s digital, and it’s time to toss out that printer! Clipboards and paper forms only lead to backed-up waiting rooms, frustrated patients, and overworked staff. This is an easy way to increase patient satisfaction and save a lot of FTE hours every day.

#2 - Requiring patients to log in

The last thing anyone wants is another login and password to keep track of. That’s why you should simplify the patient experience by eliminating unnecessary patient portal logins. It’s 2024 – patient access should be as effortless as ordering your favorite takeout. Embrace user-friendly authentication methods for advanced security measures.

#3 - Answering nonstop phone calls

As you toss out your printer, don’t forget to get rid of the landline. Let patients take control with intuitive digital tools for self-service, making the necessity to dial your office a thing of the past. Digital tools empower patients and unburden staff from being tied to the phone. Implement secure text messaging and automated QuickAssist insuring seamless and efficient interactions while enhancing the overall patient experience.

#4 - Requiring multiple check-ins

One and done. Who needs the hassle of checking in multiple times for same-day appointments or reschedules? Prevent dissatisfied patients by capturing all the information you need in one check-in. Your time is precious and so is theirs! Streamline the process further by implementing automated reminders and confirmations, ensuring a seamless experience from check-in to follow-up and leaving both patients and staff with more time.

#5 - Crowded Waiting Rooms

So, why settle for the traditional waiting room experience? Allow patients to wait in their vehicles or outside in the fresh air instead. Waiting room solutions reduce the in-office crowd and ensure completed forms before entry. Staff gain visibility by receiving alerts upon patient arrival and a quick-link access system guarantees secure identification. 

And for those urgent care “need-it-now” moments, provide patients with real-time information on the current wait time for each clinic, where they can opt to join the queue to be seen at the convenience of their time and the practice’s. Leverage the same self-arrive tool as they pull into your parking lot, triggering an automatic appointment booking. 

#6 - Staff burnout

Finally, remember it’s about more than just how your practice can attract new patients and increase patient satisfaction. You have to make sure you’re keeping staff happy by implementing ways to relieve staff shortages and prevent staff burnout. Consider making changes to promote staff well-being and a positive work environment. By implementing digital solutions like easy-to-learn all-in-one platforms, you can reduce staff burnout, automate manual tasks, and streamline workflows.

And here's what's "In" for 2024 ...

#1 - Improving patient visibility

Nearly 1 in 3 patients facing long wait times skip their visit and 1 in 5 end up switching providers (9th Annual Vitals Wait Time Report – Fierce Healthcare). Don’t let this happen on your watch. Sharing live wait time information helps attract new patients and retain existing ones because it enables them to choose the appointment time and location that best fits their needs. By improving patient access, you should be able to increase patient satisfaction which will boost revenue by attracting and retaining existing patients. 

#2 - Actionable analytics that drive ROI faster

We’re calling 2024 the year of actionable analytics in healthcare practices. In other words, we see this as the year data isn’t just collected; it’s should be easy to understand and put to use. This means it’s time to measure practice ROI accurately and watch as your efforts translate into tangible results. Doing this will help you know where to make changes to increase patient satisfaction and improve clinic and staff efficiency to make every dollar count.

#3 - Boosting collections and reducing no-shows

Optimize your financial workflow by securing payments and co-pays before appointments, ensuring immediate compensation. Patients appreciate the convenience of pre-appointment payments through advanced medical check-in software. 

Embracing this approach is not just about convenience but also a strategic move to boost revenue in the new year. Discover the exciting possibilities for your practice’s ROI by embracing and leveraging digital tools together with our ROI calculator. Maximize efficiency and patient satisfaction while achieving financial success.  

#4 - Offering virtual convenience across the care journey

Empower patients with a trio of virtual solutions – online patient scheduling, virtual waiting rooms, and digital patient check-in. Check-ins from the comfort of their pajamas? Now that’s healthcare evolution! Delivering virtual convenience is just another way to improve patient access and reduce staff burnout. It’s a win-win! We’ve seen practices see 8+ more patients per provider per day by improving patient access.

Bonus benefit: Collaborate with a vendor that seamlessly integrates into your Electronic Health Record (EHR) system to eliminate the necessity for staff involvement altogether. 

#5 - Using AI to personalize patient check-in

Say bye to crowded waiting rooms and hello to swift, accurate patient check-ins. Adopt AI-enabled check-in logic to personalize the patient experience, asking only relevant questions and minimizing the number of tasks patients have to complete before walking through your doors. Not only does this increase patient satisfaction, it can help increase patient retention. A quick, easy check-in process means patients know what to expect at future visits and will be more than happy to come again.

#6 - Setting up QuickAssist and worklists

Reduce phone calls and automate manual tasks by implementing a healthcare QuickAssist to handle your most common patient inquiries. From medical records requests to collecting billing or registration information, and coordinating parent permission for school care, QuickAssist can be set up to ensure everything is organized and accounted for while saving major staff time. This helps increase patient satisfaction while improving efficiency. 

#7 - Look for the colors red, navy, and teal!

We just wanted to sneak in an honorable mention for our brand colors. 😉 

To wrap things up, the emphasis remains on embracing digital transformation as we venture into 2024. If you want to attract new patients, you’ll need to think about ways to increase patient satisfaction and improve staff efficiency. This will require you to let go of outdated practices, welcome the innovation, and stride confidently into the future where healthcare is not just a service but a seamless, personalized experience for all! If you’d like help figuring out where to start, get in touch with us to schedule a chat.

Looking to evaluate where your practice is at today? Uncover your practice's digital health score by taking our SCORE4U asessment.

Prefer diving into numbers? Take our ROI4U assessment to calculate the savings your organization can achieve by implementing digital solutions to automate and optimize workflows.

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