Why Is The Patient Experience So Important In Healthcare? Written by Jeff Tormey on June 30, 2022. Posted in Connect. How do we define the “patient experience”? According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), the patient experience is defined as the range of interactions that patients have with the healthcare system. This is wide ranging and encompasses their experience with their health plans, doctors, nurses, hospital staff, and facilities. The patient experience, however, is not the same thing as patient satisfaction. Satisfaction has much more to do about whether the patient’s expectations have been met. It’s much more individual and has to do more with what the patient wants, rather than what the patient actually gets. To learn more about the difference between patient experience and patient satisfaction, check out this article: Understanding the Difference Between Patient Satisfaction vs. Patient Experience Importance of patient experience in healthcare Although patient experience is not the same as patient satisfaction, the two are related. Patient satisfaction is driven by positive perceptions of the patient experience. According to a Washington Health Alliance Study, the biggest drivers of patient satisfaction were related to these statements: “The provider cared about me as a person.” “The provider listened carefully to me.” “The provider knew important information about my medical history.” “The provider explained things in a way that was easy to understand.” “The provider answered all my questions to my satisfaction.” According to the AHRQ, improvements in patient experience have been shown to be linked to better outcomes for patients. There is also a big benefit for the business side, including improved patient retention, fewer unnecessary diagnostic tests, and fewer lawsuits. How Do We Measure Patient Experience? The most common way that patient experience is measured is through CAHPS surveys. CAHPS stands for Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems, and is a survey that is provided to patients to report on their experience. The surveys are designed in such a way that the data can be used for statistical analysis. How Can We Improve The Patient Experience? Three ways that healthcare providers can improve the patient experience are to involve patients in their own care, reduce wait times, and make it easy as possible to schedule an appointment. Involving patients in their own care requires keeping patients adequately informed about the details of their care. Most patients do not have a high level of health literacy, and they require education. However, many patients may not have the patience to learn everything there is to know about their care. For this reason, it’s up to the doctors to help them understand the decisions they need to make. Reducing wait times has to do more with how well the organization functions. If there are frequent scheduling problems, then wait times will be extended as a result. Appointment scheduling is made easy by allowing patients to schedule appointments online, ideally through your mobile website. Sequence Health provides healthcare website solutions that integrate with scheduling software, which gives patients more control over their appointments. Making all of these things easy is no small task, and that’s where Sequence Health can help. Sequence Health offers a variety of solutions for healthcare providers to help improve the patient experience on several levels. Learn more about patient experience here: Patient Experience Statistics You Can’t Afford To Ignore
Patient Engagement Review: Why Engaged Patients Have Better Outcomes Written by Jeff Tormey on June 23, 2022. Posted in Connect. When it comes to health care, some patients are more likely to see the doctor when they feel like their needs are being met. That’s why it’s so important for health care providers to try to meet their patients’ needs as best they can. But sometimes, we need more input from the patient. That’s where patient engagement comes in. There’s a growing body of evidence that shows that engaged patients have better health outcomes. Patient engagement is the key to improving the health and wellbeing of patients. It has been shown to improve patient satisfaction, reduce emergency room visits, and even save lives. What Engaged Patients Do That Others Don’t According to the California Healthcare Foundation, patient engagement is the “active involvement of the patient in his/her healthcare” (California Healthcare Foundation, n.d.). They attend their appointments on time and feel comfortable asking questions. They are more likely to take their medications as prescribed and avoid the emergency room when a problem could be solved at the doctor’s office or clinic. They have a better experience, which often leads to them becoming loyal patients and referring family and friends to the doctor. This translates into better health and lower costs for you. Patient Engagement and Patient Satisfaction A study done for the California Healthcare Foundation showed that a focus on patient engagement improved satisfaction. Getting online access to health records, for example, allowed them to get a satisfaction rating of 90%. Patients are defined as engaged if they anticipate that they will stay engaged with their healthcare provider. Patients who are not engaged with their healthcare provider are less likely to understand their treatment options and adhere to their treatment plan. They miss opportunities to ask questions and get clear explanations. As a result, they may feel like they weren’t given proper, personalized care. The reality is that they weren’t given the opportunity to engage in the way that was most comfortable for them. How You Can Improve Patient Engagement In Your Practice Patient engagement is crucial to achieving the goals of patient-centered healthcare, as it can improve the patient experience, improve outcomes, and save costs. To engage patients, providers need to know the unique needs of their patients and create an experience that matches those needs. The best way to engage your patients is to listen to them, and understand what is most important to them. Then, provide high-quality service, and use the power of relationship building to build a strong connection with your patients so that they feel like you are on their side. Streamlining your services may also have a positive effect on patient engagement. For example, allowing patients to do everything they need to do online will help them take a more active role in their care. Scheduling appointments, viewing appointment summaries, getting access to their electronic medical records (EMR), and communicating with their providers are all things that patients should be able to access online. Healthcare Engagement Solutions Sequence Health has a variety of healthcare engagement solutions that you can use in your medical practice. From patient portals to health education and more, Sequence Health has the tools you need to improve patient engagement in your practice.
The Significance of Patient Reviews in Healthcare Written by Jeff Tormey on June 16, 2022. Posted in Connect. Patient feedback and reviews are an important part of the healthcare system, which can help providers learn about the quality of care their patients received, as well as provide their own feedback on the care they received. Feedback and reviews can improve the quality of care for patients and increase the efficiency of the system as a whole. This article will provide background information on the importance of patient feedback and reviews in the healthcare system, as well as the various ways in which patient feedback and reviews can be incorporated into the healthcare system. 5 Reasons Patient Feedback and Reviews are Important in the Healthcare Industry Patient Feedback Can Improve The Patient Experience Feedback from patients can help providers improve the quality of care their patients receive. It can also provide providers with an opportunity to learn about the experiences of the patients they care for, which can help them improve the quality of care they provide. Feedback has been shown to improve the patient experience, which has been shown to increase the likelihood that a patient will return for future visits. Learn more about this: Patient Engagement Statistics Patient Feedback Can Help Make Sense of Online Reviews Over the past few decades, we have become accustomed to relying on online reviews as part of the decision-making process when we make these important purchases. While reviews can be a valuable resource, they’re also plagued by a number of shortcomings, including a lack of transparency and the potential for manipulation. By reconciling patient feedback with reviews that you get on Google or Yelp, you can use the information to address shortcomings in your practice and improve your reputation going forward. Patient Feedback Can Help Improve the Quality of Care As a healthcare provider, you deserve to get feedback from your patients on your care. By facilitating this feedback, you can improve the quality of the care you provide. That’s why, as part of your overall patient experience, you need to actively solicit feedback from your patients. Many patients have a hard time expressing their concerns, especially to healthcare professionals. They may feel stigmatized due to their situation, or may be embarrassed at their level of health literacy. Getting their feedback can help them take a more active role in their care, and showing that you’re using their feedback to improve their care can improve their satisfaction. It’s a virtuous cycle. Patient Feedback Can Improve Patient Retention Acting on feedback from patients can help make care more personalized. This in turn improves the patient experience further, and helps the patient feel as if the care they receive is perfect for them. Being able to ask questions and provide responsive, personalized service and information has an impact beyond boosting patient satisfaction, especially for new patients and patients who have been referred by others. They’re more likely to stay with your practice if they feel that you care about them and their concerns. Want to learn more strategies for improving patient retention? Check out this article: Proven Patient Retention Strategies That Work Patient Feedback Can Give Your Practice a Competitive Edge in the Market Customer feedback is the lifeblood of every business, and whether your practice serves a geographic area or is a national one, it’s important to know that patients and patients’ families want to give you feedback, and that you have an opportunity to act on that feedback. By responding to patient feedback, you’re going to build relationships with your patients and build trust, which are the foundation of any strong patient-provider relationship. This trust creates a strong competitive advantage for your practice. Since you’re gathering information from your patients, you may be able to uncover important insights about your practice that can help you improve and grow.
How To Schedule Patients Effectively: Medical Appointment Scheduling Guidelines Written by Jeff Tormey on June 9, 2022. Posted in Connect. Medical Appointment Scheduling guidelines were created to help medical providers, including primary care physicians and specialist physicians, schedule medical appointments in a way that achieves high-quality outcomes, while being efficient and effective. These guidelines are meant to supplement other physician scheduling policies and procedures in place at the practice. Medical Appointment Scheduling Tips Allow patients to self-schedule online. Giving patients the ability to schedule their own appointments has many advantages. First, it involves them in their own care, albeit in a small way. Second, it helps you keep your scheduling process streamlined. Third, it saves your staff time and saves you billable hours. It also improves patient satisfaction, as they feel like they were able to visit your office on their terms. If you’re still not convinced, we wrote a whole article on this. Read: Key Reasons Healthcare Practices Should Offer Online Scheduling Create a patient waiting list. Last minute cancellations happen, often for legitimate reasons. However, this doesn’t make them any less disruptive. One way to lessen the impact of these disruptions is to implement a patient waiting list. Ask patients during scheduling if they wish to be on a waiting list to get an earlier appointment. Then, in the case of a last minute no show, send mass text messages to patients on the waiting list. Use an automated patient recall system. Patient recall systems help you in two ways. First, it helps make sure that patients schedule regular appointments with you, which helps keep your schedule full. Second, it can help bring back patients who haven’t had regular appointments in a while. These patients often miss their appointments because life gets in the way. But, with an effective patient recall system, you can keep patients on top of their appointments and keep your schedule booked. Read more: Using Automated Phone Calls and Texts to Improve Patient Outcomes Prioritize appointments. Different patients have different needs. Some patients require more time and higher levels of care. Other patients may not need to be brought in at all. This is where prioritizing appointments can be very effective. To do this most efficiently, have a staff member evaluate each call coming in to determine whether the patient needs to be seen for an in-person appointment, or whether a phone consultation would suffice. This way, you will be able to keep your schedule full while also serving your patients in the best possible way. Collect and use data to find opportunities to improve. As a burgeoning medical practice, there’s a lot that’s happening that you might not be tracking. Some of this data may reveal issues in your scheduling and patient intake flow. Some of this may deal with how well you’re converting patients. If your patient pipeline has leaks, or if your staff is spending too much time on tasks that could be automated, then addressing these issues will be important for improving appointment scheduling. Sequence Health provides software that allows you to track trends in patient conversion and activation. If you’re looking for a patient tracking system to meet your needs, check out Sequence Health’s solutions here: Patient Tracking System
How To Create A Strategic Healthcare Marketing Plan In 5 Steps Written by Jeff Tormey on June 2, 2022. Posted in Connect. Healthcare marketing is an important part of running a successful medical practice. How you reach your target market, how you get people to choose your practice over a competitor, and what marketing measures you track are all aspects of healthcare marketing. But without a plan, it can be hard to know where to start when you’re trying to build a strong brand and increase the number of patients you have. In this article, you will learn how to create a healthcare marketing plan for your practice. Healthcare Marketing Explained Healthcare marketing is the process of attracting, generating, and managing demand for healthcare services. Healthcare marketing plans are used to drive sales, generate leads, and develop relationships with prospective customers. A healthcare marketing plan can be customized to meet the unique needs of a particular business, industry, and target market. Curious about why some healthcare providers aren’t able to market themselves effectively? Check out this article: The Biggest Challenges in Marketing in the Healthcare Industry 5 Steps To A Strong Medical Practice Marketing Plan Define Your Target Audience Your target audience is the group of people you want to attract to your medical practice or hospital. For a business, the target audience is the group of people who are most likely to need what you have to offer. However, for medical practices, you need to look at your target audience from a different perspective. Medical practices need to understand the demographics of their local market, as well as why they’re in need of their services. They will use this information to tailor marketing messages specifically to this market. Not only that, it’s important that you understand the niche you operate in. By having a niche and understanding your market, you improve your chances of long term success. Decide on your goals Depending on where you are in your practice, your goals for your healthcare marketing plan will be different. Opening a new practice in a new city requires different goals than growing an existing practice. Is your goal to increase the number of patients in your practice? Is it to improve your practice’s reputation? Or is it to open up new opportunities for a new location? Decide why you need a healthcare marketing plan and move forward based on that. Don’t deviate from your original goal by trying to satisfy every possible metric! Use a SWOT Analysis To Assess The Situation A SWOT analysis is a common tool used to assess the situation of a business, either new or existing. It consists of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Strengths and Weaknesses are specific to your organization, whereas Opportunities and Threats have to do with the situation such as competition and the economy. Once you do it, don’t sit on it: use what you have in your SWOT analysis to determine what you need to do in order to meet your goals. Read more: How to Use SWOT Analysis in Healthcare: Steps and Strategies Decide Your Marketing Activities & Budgets Now that you know your target audience, your goals, and your situation, you can decide which marketing activities you will invest in, and how much you want to invest in each. It’s tempting to just do everything all at once, but there are some things that matter more than others. For example, if your goal is to grow the number of patients in your practice, focusing on search engine marketing (SEM) and paid social media will likely be the key. However, if your goal is to improve your reputation, you’ll want to invest in reputation management, social media marketing and public relations. Determine your budget based on how much you want to spend on each marketing objective. Assign the bulk of your budget to the most important activity. Remember the 80/20 principle: 80% of your results will come from 20% of your activities. Establish KPIs Now that you’ve decided what you’ll be investing in, you have to decide on metrics for success. You need to be able to monitor the results of your marketing activities and make adjustments as needed, otherwise you’re shooting in the dark. Your KPIs should be based on your activities and your goals. For example, if you’re trying to grow your practice and are investing primarily in SEM, you might want to track the amount of traffic to your website, your rankings on search engines, and the number of new patients you’ve acquired. If you’re trying to improve your reputation, you might be looking at the number of reviews you’ve received, improvement on patient surveys, and the reduction of negative reviews. Sequence Health offers healthcare marketing services to help medical practices in all stages of the marketing process. If you’re looking to grow your practice, improve your reputation, or simply grow your brand awareness, learn more about medical marketing strategies! Ready to take your practice to the next level? Contact us today to get started!
What Benefits Can Patient Satisfaction Surveys Bring? Written by Jeff Tormey on May 30, 2022. Posted in Connect. Patient satisfaction surveys are an important way to measure how your patients feel about their experience with your practice. Satisfied patients are more likely to recommend your practice to others, and they are also less likely to file complaints. In this blog post, we will discuss the importance of patient satisfaction surveys and how you can use the results to improve your practice! Discover Why Improving CAHPS Patient Satisfaction Scores Matters. 1. Start a Conversation with Patients One of the most important benefits of patient satisfaction surveys is that they can help you start a conversation with your patients. By asking questions about their experience, you can get feedback that can help you improve your practice. You can also use the results of the survey to show your patients that you care about their experience and that you are committed to improving it! 2. Identify Problems with Your Practice Another benefit of patient satisfaction surveys is that they can help identify problems with your practice. If you see a pattern of negative feedback, you can take steps to address the issue. This can help prevent dissatisfied patients from leaving your practice and helps ensure that your patients are getting the best possible care! 3. Benchmark Your Practice vs. the Market Patient satisfaction surveys can be used to benchmark your practice against other practices. By comparing your results to other practices, you can see where you need to improve. This can help you set goals and make improvements that will benefit your patients! 4. Identify the Strengths of Your Practice In addition to identifying areas for improvement, patient satisfaction surveys can also help you identify the strengths of your practice. This feedback can be used to promote your practice and attract new patients! 5. Support Data-based Decision Making Patient satisfaction surveys can help support data-based decision-making. By collecting data on your patients’ experiences, you can make informed decisions about how to improve your practice. This data can also be used to justify changes or investments that you make in your practice! 6. Improve Performance Finally, patient satisfaction surveys can help improve performance. By using the results of the survey to identify areas for improvement, you can make changes that will positively impact your patients’ experience. This can lead to increased satisfaction and loyalty from your patients! Conclusion If you are not already using patient satisfaction surveys, we encourage you to start! They are a valuable tool that can help you improve your practice and provide better care for your patients. If you have any questions about how to get started, feel free to contact us! We would be happy to help with your patient engagement statistics.
The Importance of Patient Satisfaction – And How to Improve It Written by Jeff Tormey on May 23, 2022. Posted in Connect. Did you know that patient satisfaction is one of the most important factors in the success of a healthcare organization? It’s true! In fact, patient satisfaction has been shown to have a direct impact on everything from patient referrals to hospital reimbursement. That’s why it’s so important for healthcare organizations to focus on creating a positive patient experience. In this blog post, we will discuss the importance of patient satisfaction and outline some ways that you can improve your patients’ experiences. Why Is Patient Satisfaction Important to Hospitals? Patient satisfaction is important to hospitals for a number of reasons. First and foremost, happy patients are more likely to refer others to your facility. Word-of-mouth is still one of the best forms of marketing, and it’s completely free! Additionally, satisfied patients tend to be more compliant with their treatment plans. This means they’re less likely to experience complications or need readmission to the hospital. And finally, high patient satisfaction scores can lead to increased reimbursement from insurance companies. So, as you can see, there are plenty of good reasons to focus on creating a positive patient experience. How Can You Improve Patient Satisfaction? There are a number of ways that you can improve patient satisfaction at your healthcare organization. One of the most important things you can do is to ensure that your staff is providing high-quality care. This means hiring competent and compassionate employees, providing them with adequate training, and ensuring that they’re always putting the patient first. Additionally, you should make sure your facility is clean and comfortable and that your patients have access to all the resources they need. Finally, don’t forget about the little things! Things like a friendly smile or a warm blanket can go a long way in making your patients feel cared for. Learn about how to measure patient satisfaction in health care. Encouraging Communication One of the most important aspects of patient satisfaction is communication. Patients should always feel like they are able to communicate freely with their care providers. This means that staff should take the time to listen to patients’ concerns and answer their questions thoroughly. Additionally, patients should be kept up-to-date on their care plans and involved in decision-making whenever possible. By fostering open communication, you can help ensure that your patients feel respected and well cared for. Read more: Contact Center Lessons To Improve the Patient Experience Cutting Wait Times Another important factor in patient satisfaction is reducing wait times. No one likes to be kept waiting, and patients are no exception. That’s why it’s so important for healthcare organizations to do everything they can to reduce wait times. This may include things like streamlining the check-in process, increasing staffing levels, and investing in technology that can help speed up care. By reducing wait times, you can help make your patients’ experience more efficient and convenient. Conclusion Patient satisfaction is a critical part of the success of any healthcare organization. By focusing on creating a positive patient experience, you can improve patient outcomes, increase referrals, and boost your bottom line. So, why wait? Reach out to us about analyzing patient experience statistics.
5 Benefits of Social Media in Healthcare Written by Jeff Tormey on May 16, 2022. Posted in Connect. There is no doubt that social media has had a profound impact on the way we live our lives. It has changed the way we communicate with each other, and it has even changed the way we do business. One industry that has been particularly affected by social media is healthcare. In this blog post, we will discuss the importance of social media in healthcare. Keep reading to learn more! Learn about the Impact of Social Media on Healthcare Businesses. 1. Raising Awareness One of the main advantages of social media in healthcare is that it can be used to raise awareness about important health topics. For example, if there is a new outbreak of a disease, social media can be used to quickly spread information about the outbreak and how to protect yourself. 2. Connecting with Patients Social media can also be used to connect with patients. This is especially beneficial for patients who may be dealing with chronic illnesses or who have rare conditions. By connecting with these patients online, doctors can provide them with support and information that they may not be able to find anywhere else. 3. Building Relationships Social media can also be used to build relationships between healthcare providers and their patients. For example, many hospitals now have Facebook pages where they post updates about the latest news and events. This helps to create a sense of community between the hospital and its patients. 4. Healthcare Marketing One of the most important things that social media does for healthcare is raise awareness. In the past, getting the word out about a new breakthrough or campaign was difficult and expensive. Now, with social media, all it takes is a post or Tweet to reach millions of people instantly. This makes marketing much easier and more effective for healthcare providers. 5. Keeping People Informed Another benefit of social media in healthcare is that it helps to keep people informed about advances in medicine. With social media, news about new treatments and cures can spread quickly, which can help to save lives. As you can see, there are many benefits of social media in healthcare. If you are a healthcare provider, make sure to take advantage of these benefits to improve your practice! Thanks for reading! Do you have any questions or comments? We’d love to hear from you or start a healthcare digital marketing partnership! Learn how social media can be leveraged for healthcare marketing success. Contact Sequence Health for expert guidance and strategy.
How Do Electronic Health Records Improve Patient Care? A Quick but Thorough Explanation Written by Jeff Tormey on May 9, 2022. Posted in Connect. There is no doubt that electronic health records (EHR) have had a profound impact on the healthcare industry. Many experts believe that EHRs are one of the most important advances in healthcare technology in the past decade. BBut how do EHRs work, and more importantly, how do they improve patient care? In this blog post, we will explore those questions and discuss some of the benefits of using EHRs in clinical practice. EHRs Improve Portability and Sharing of Patient Information One of the most important benefits of EHRs is that they improve the portability and sharing of patient information. In the past, patient medical records were often stored in paper files, which made it difficult to share information between different healthcare providers. With EHRs, patient information is stored electronically, making it much easier to share between providers. This is especially important for patients who see multiple specialists or who need to be seen by a provider in another state or country. Learn about The Benefits of an EHR Built for Innovation. EHRs Can Help Reduce Medical Errors Medical errors are a serious problem in healthcare, and anything that can help reduce them is a major benefit of using EHRs. One way that EHRs help reduce errors is by providing better decision support for clinicians. For example, EHRs can alert clinicians to potential drug interactions or allergies. EHRs can also help ensure that patients receive the correct tests and procedures based on their individual needs. EHRs Enhance Coordination of Care Another way that EHRs improve patient care is by enhancing the coordination of care between different healthcare providers. When all of a patient’s providers are using the same EHR system, they can easily share information with each other and coordinate care more effectively. This is especially important for patients with chronic conditions who see multiple specialists. EHRs Improve Population Health Management Finally, EHRs can also help improve population health management. By collecting data on large groups of patients, EHRs can help identify trends and patterns in diseases. This information can then be used to develop new treatment protocols or prevention strategies. Conclusion In conclusion, EHRs have the potential to greatly improve patient care by reducing errors, enhancing coordination of care, and improving population health management. While there are still some challenges to implementing EHRs, the benefits make them well worth the effort. What do you think? Are these benefits big enough to get you to make the EHR switch? If so, contact us about EMR integration.
A Guide to How to Verify Insurance Eligibility & Benefits Written by Jeff Tormey on May 2, 2022. Posted in Connect. If you are like most people, you probably don’t enjoy dealing with insurance companies. In fact, you may go out of your way to avoid them! This is especially true when it comes to verifying insurance eligibility and benefits. It can be a confusing process, and often times it feels like you are getting the runaround from customer service representatives. In this blog post, we will outline the process of how to verify insurance benefits and eligibility so that you can do it yourself without having to deal with the hassle! Learn What Is the Role of a Medical Insurance Verification Specialist? 1. Gather the Necessary Information The first step in verifying your insurance eligibility and benefits is to gather all of the necessary information. This includes your insurance card, a list of your medications, and any other relevant medical documents. Once you have everything gathered, you will need to contact your insurance company. 2. Call Customer Service Most insurance companies have a customer service number that you can call to speak with a representative. When you call, be sure to have your information handy so that you can easily reference it. The customer service representative will likely ask you for your policy number, date of birth, and social security number. They may also ask for some additional information such as your address or phone number. 3. Determine Eligibility and Benefits Once the customer service representative has all of the necessary information, they will be able to tell you whether or not you are eligible for coverage. If you are eligible, they will also be able to provide you with a list of your benefits. This includes things like what your copayment will be, how much your deductible is, and what services are covered under your plan. 4. Ask Questions If you have any questions about your insurance eligibility or benefits, the customer service representative should be able to help you. However, if they are not able to answer your question or if you need more information, you can always ask to speak with a supervisor. 5. Repeat the Process as Needed Keep in mind that insurance companies change their policies and procedures often, so it is important to verify your insurance eligibility and benefits on a regular basis. This way, you can be sure that you are always getting the coverage that you need. Conclusion We hope that this blog post has been helpful in explaining the process of verifying insurance eligibility and benefits. If you have any questions about medical insurance verification, just reach out to us.