Patients can schedule appointments online, reducing phone calls during office hours. This self-servicing model appeals to digital natives and has been shown to improve the patient experience. Ninety-five percent of millennials say they’ve booked medical appointments online and would do so again.
Reduced No-Shows
No-shows waste staff time, reduce practice revenue, and impact patients’ health by interrupting their continuity of care. Using an online medical appointment scheduling solution to reduce no-shows will allow you to recuperate lost revenue and improve the experience for your patients.
A simple automated email, text, or instant messenger reminder significantly decreases no-show rates. It’s true among professional-class patients who keep their calendars.
Another no-show reduction tactic is lowering the lead time between scheduling and the appointment. It also has a significant impact, especially on Medicare and disadvantaged patient populations who may have difficulty with transportation or keeping track of their meetings.
A mobile physician can give personalized care that fits the patient’s needs and schedule. Individuals who lead hectic work or family schedules or reside in isolated places may find this helpful.
Increased Patient Loyalty
As any healthcare provider knows, patient loyalty is essential to running the practice smoothly. An excellent way to do this is to provide convenient digital tools that help patients book and cancel appointments with little effort.
With online scheduling, patients can log in to the provider’s website or app on their smartphone or tablet to check availability and choose a time that works best for them. It helps to reduce appointment no-shows and improve overall patient satisfaction.
Additionally, online booking allows medical staff to shift their focus away from managing appointments and rescheduling them, freeing up time that can be spent on other essential tasks. It also helps to reduce employee stress and increase productivity and engagement.
Increased Revenue
In an online age where consumers are accustomed to self-service digital tools from banks and retailers, patients expect healthcare providers to offer the same convenience. Medical practices can improve revenue by allowing patients to book, reschedule, and cancel online appointments.
Offering online scheduling eliminates costly phone call volume that drains staff’s energy and slows down the process of booking appointments. It also frees up time for the team to focus on more critical tasks such as patient follow-up.
Moreover, with real-time calendar updates, empty appointment slots that result from cancellations or reschedules become instantly available. It ensures that the practice is using money wisely from unfilled appointment slots.
In addition, automated appointment reminders and confirmation via email or text help reduce no-shows. In turn, this keeps the medical practice humming along and boosts revenue.
Improved Patient-Doctor Relationships
Patients are increasingly seeking meaningful relationships with their healthcare professionals. While the doctor-patient relationship may be more challenging to quantify than glycated hemoglobin or blood pressure, forward-thinking healthcare systems recognize that this is important for patient satisfaction and health outcomes.
When doctors win patients’ trust, they can inspire them to discuss their concerns openly, comply with treatment plans, and improve health outcomes. But, building these relationships requires time, effort, and empathy. Online medical appointment scheduling can make the process easier for both parties.
For patients, this means they can avoid the frustration of navigating a phone tree or spending valuable time on hold. For healthcare staff, it means that they can dedicate their attention to more meaningful interactions with patients when administrative tasks do not burden them.
Improved Patient Satisfaction
Patients value the convenience of booking appointments online without calling a practice during standard business hours. They can view available appointment times and choose the one that works best for them. Plus, they can receive reminders via text message to reduce no-shows and maximize the value of their healthcare providers’ time.
A report says that 80% of patients who have used online scheduling say they are delighted with the experience and would recommend it to others. Moreover, real-time systems allow patients to book same-day and soon appointments to reduce wait times further.
Medical staff also save valuable time by not having to field patient phone calls during clinic hours, which allows them to focus on other pressing needs such as intake, billing, and administrative tasks. It helps prevent burnout and fosters a more productive work environment for medical staff.
