10 Conveniences Patients Expect

Medical practices need to do everything they can to remain competitive within their industry. Patients have many choices now, from a variety of practitioners to retail and urgent care clinics. Genesis Medical Management wants to help your medical practice remain competitive by meeting the needs of your patients.

Most practitioners know that to keep patients they must earn their trust and commitment. One way to do that is through having effective communication with their patients through active listening and keeping them informed. Medical staff need to listen to their patients and make their opinions feel valued, without rushing them through. Patients want to know that their doctors have really heard them, and that their doctors keep them informed and provide details regarding their diagnosis, including risks and success rates of procedures. The front office staff, nurses, and physician assistants also need to show respect and compassion for all the patients, or they will choose to go elsewhere.

Waiting rooms are the first physical interaction a patient has with your practice, and it sets the tone for the whole visit. If the waiting room is run down and unwelcoming it creates a poor image of your whole practice. An updated waiting room, with wi-fi, water, coffee, and healthy snacks will send a message that you care about your patients. If they have to wait, they will be much more accommodating if they are being treated with compassion.

However, these simple but effective ideas are not enough to keep patients completely committed to a practice anymore. Patients are seeking much more from their medical care teams now. According to HealthIt.gov, more than half of patients want to be able to access their medical records online and will choose practitioners based on whether they offer online interaction; yet only one in ten patients are able to do so with their current practitioners. This means many patients are leaving their current doctors to find ones that offer the resources they desire.

Patients want to be able to schedule appointments online, complete their intake forms electronically, receive text notifications regarding appointments and wait times, obtain electronic results of lab work and procedures, communicate through their patient portals or emails, and pay their bills online. A patient may choose whether to use a specific practice based on their online presence or leave a practice due to their lack of a digital presence.

The Top 10 Conveniences Patients Expect

• Online Appointment Setting
• Electronic Patient Intake Forms
• Electronic Notification of Appointments and Wait Times
• Electronic Results of Lab Work and Procedures
• Transparent Pricing
• Online Educational Links Regarding Diagnosis
• Electronic Communication
• Updated Waiting Rooms with Refreshments
• Extended Hours of Availability
• Medical Records Available Electronically

Offering patients an electronic healthcare system with electronic medical records isn’t enough. Providers must also educate their patients about effectively using their patient portal. Providers can empower their patients to learn about their condition, ask proper questions, and advocate for themselves more effectively by using their patient portals. Patients can have all their health information available at their fingertips and providers will know they are receiving the proper information rather than obtaining incorrect information through uneducated online search results.

An electronic healthcare system is necessary for a medical practice to remain competitive. Patients are demanding electronic medical records and if your practice isn’t meeting that need your patients will go elsewhere. Genesis Medical Management can help your practice to become competitive today, just give us a call.