There has been a major shift in care coordination and scheduling of patients in the healthcare industry in recent years. Considering the increased demand, it is important for healthcare providers to incorporate technology into scheduling practices. It will help optimize appointment booking, enhance patient engagement, and streamline shift planning for nurses and other staff. We know how mobile-based solutions enhance the overall workflow in the healthcare sector. Scheduling doctor visits has come a long way. It used to be all about making phone calls, but now, technology is playing a big role. Therefore, to help you manage efficient patient care, we have a detailed guide for you. We will also discuss strategies to create a balanced hospital shift planner, real-world success stories, and how a unified platform like WELL Health can transform care delivery.
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Key Trends in Healthcare Scheduling
Increasing Investment in Scheduling Technologies
The market for appointment-setting software is booming today like never before. It is expected to grow from about $206 million in 2018 to over $546 million by 2026. This shows that healthcare providers are taking scheduling seriously and will continue investing in better systems.
Shifting Patient Expectations
The COVID-19 pandemic changed how we think about healthcare. That was the time when every sector started digitizing its processes to reduce human-to-human contact. This trend is not slowing down even after the mitigation of the pandemic. Today, patients want the option to book their doctor visits online or through an app without having to call anyone. They also prefer virtual visits as an option to prevent as much hassle as possible. Healthcare providers need to keep up with these new wants and needs.
Transition from phone bookings
Despite all the computerization, phones are not going away. More and more people prefer to handle their appointments online with integrated systems. It is just easier to book, change, or cancel a visit through a website or app without having to physically visit the clinic or hospital. Healthcare is thus moving away from phone-only systems and embracing digital ways to make life easier for patients.
The Power of Mobile-Based Scheduling
High success rates
When you get a text reminder for your appointment, there is a high chance that you will read it quickly. In fact, over 90% of these reminders are read within just 3 minutes. This helps people remember to show up and ensure they get the care they need.
Timely care access
Online booking for healthcare services has been found to be more timely than phone bookings. If you are not feeling well and need help sooner rather than later, this is a great option. Mobile-based online scheduling is transforming the response time for healthcare providers.
Cost savings
Missed appointments can be very frustrating, but studies show that it happens about 32% of the time. Besides, it costs the healthcare industry a whopping $150 billion every year. But there’s a solution! Text reminders from your phone can help cut down on these no-shows. Subsequently, it saves you and your healthcare provider some financial expenses.
Leveraging Technology for Efficient Patient Scheduling
Appointment reminders
Automate quick texts and emails to remind the patients about their appointments or confirm one. This helps cut down on missed visits, which is good for everyone. Moreover, automating texts and emails will improve efficiency and reduce labor costs since you won’t have to hire an entire team to do so.
Automated responses
Chatbots are becoming more and more common for businesses of all kinds. Healthcare management facilities should not be left out. Allow the patients to use chatbots on the hospital’s website or app to give instant replies to common questions about appointments. It is a 24/7 helper that never sleeps or gets tired of assisting people.
Boosting call centers
People who cannot find their answers through a chatbot hit customer care call centers. Since AI is taking over the world, healthcare providers should upgrade their call centers with AI. It can direct calls to the right person quickly so that there is no more bouncing around from agent to agent or any sort of waste of time.
Data-driven insights
It is very common in healthcare sectors to have things stuck. Look at your scheduling data to find out where the issues are. This will help you plan better and make sure there are enough staff when needed.
Patient broadcasts
There are times when you need to tell a lot of patients something at once. Sending out emails or text messages doesn’t seem like a useful solution. This is where mass notifications come in. You can use these to quickly share updates like changes in office hours or weather-related closures.
Patient self-scheduling
It is important to allow patients to book, change, or cancel their own appointments online. This is super convenient and saves time for everyone. It also allows patient independence in choosing the convenient time for appointments.
Automated recalls
Similar to the automated texts and emails, set up a system that automatically reminds patients for their regular check-ups or treatments.
Streamlined referrals
Make it simple for doctors to refer patients to specialists by doing it all online. This speeds things up and makes sure no one falls through the cracks.
AI-enabled scheduling
Just like AI chatbots and calls, you can use the technology to suggest the patients the best times for appointments. The suggestions can be based on things like how busy the staff is or a patient’s past history.
Case Studies: Success Stories in Patient Scheduling
Riverside Medical Clinic
This clinic totally rocked it by using chat messages to remind people about their appointments. They made their patients 98% happier.
Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute
They used some smart AI to direct phone calls and let people book their own appointments online. As a result, they were able to cut down on phone calls by a third and got a huge 240% boost in online bookings.
UNC Health
Just two months after they started using automated chat messages to reach out to people, they saw a 10% jump in successful referrals.
Sansum Clinic
Remember when it took forever to schedule a vaccine? Not anymore. Sansum Clinic used an AI chatbot and cut the time it took to book a vaccine from 30 minutes down to less than 5 minutes per person.
Image source: pexels.com
The Future of Patient Scheduling with WELL Health
WELL Health offers an integrated patient communication and scheduling platform, including:
- Appointment reminders via text, email, or voice call.
- Automated yet natural two-way messaging with your healthcare provider.
- Seamless communication between patients, doctors, and call centers.
- Booking your own visits and getting smart time suggestions from AI.
- Data and tools for clinics to manage staff and resources better.
- All features are HIPAA-compliant for peace of mind.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How has COVID-19 impacted patient scheduling trends?
The pandemic really sped up the move from calling to book appointments to doing it all online. People now want the option to book from their computer or phone and even see their doctor through a video call. Previously, it was done to avoid human-to-human contact; however, now, people love this technology because it’s time-saving and hassle-free.
2. What are the main benefits of AI for scheduling?
AI is an absolute all-rounder in every aspect. It can send messages to lots of patients at once, suggest the best times for your visits, and even make call centers run smoother. All it does is make things easier and more efficient.
3. How can providers balance efficient and patient-friendly scheduling?
The trick is to give people options to book their own appointments online while using smart technology to keep things running smoothly in the background. That way, patients are happy, and the staff is calm.
