There is no doubt that healthcare organizations have undeniably done their best to sort of adapt to the changing world. They have started investing in various digital tools in order to, of course, increase efficiency and improve patient satisfaction. Things like online portals, appointment reminders, automated call systems, as well as electronic billing systems have become big hits, and a lot of them certainly play enormous roles in improving patient satisfaction. Read more on patient satisfaction in general.
Okay, but while all of those things are improved in one way or another, there are still some things that both the staff and the patients are struggling. And it seems that they are struggling with the most basic thing. That is, communication. Itâs like we have tried so hard to automate a lot of processes, that this has led to making certain things worse.
Technology gaps are a thing. So, while we have a lot of various kinds of solutions available, it doesnât mean that all of those are useful to us, and that their capabilities are enough to improve certain things such as patient satisfaction. Often, they actually do the opposite, frustrating both the patients and the staff. Let us, thus, get into more details about all of this, and figure out what it is that may be frustrating staff and patients alike, as well as propose a different solution that could be more suitable for healthcare organizations.
What Frustrates Both Your Staff and Your Patients
We have to start with those automated phone systems. Simply because they tend to be more confusing than helpful most of the time. A lot of those systems somehow trap patients in loops, force them to repeat information, provide them with irrelevant options, and take up too much of their time until they finally get to reach a real person to talk to, which is what they wanted from the very beginning. And, this is frustrating for your staff as well, because callers are bound to be irritated when they finally reach them, and that is often difficult to handle.
Here is more on improving patient experience: https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbescommunicationscouncil/2023/06/22/how-to-maximize-patient-experience-five-key-factors-with-a-big-impact/Â
Of course, we cannot fail to mention that patients donât really love the idea of voicemails. Nor do they appreciate when you miss their calls. This often leads to them feeling abandoned when they need something urgently, which is why they will most likely proceed towards contacting your competitors. As if that werenât bad enough, if patients do happen to leave voicemails, your staff has to go through all of them the next day, which delays their other tasks, as well as answers.
Online portals seemed to be a great idea. And, they definitely are in a way, allowing people to more easily get some basic information, and schedule appointments, as well as refill prescriptions. Yet, sometimes, these tend to be confusing, or people may need to contact a real person for a different reason, which means that they will still wind up calling your office. So, they wind up frustrated with the portal, and then they frustrate the staff as well with endless calls that prevent them from doing other work.
Now, apart from all of that, patients may often need help after hours. And, when you arenât there to assist them, no technology solution will be appreciated. No automated phone system will solve the issue, and no voicemail will be enough. Of course, online portals canât do anything in those emergencies either. So, when you miss their after hour calls, they are likely to become anxious, and often resort to unnecessary ER trips, or even go to your competitor, which is, as I am sure you understand, quite frustrating for everyone.
What to Do About It
Okay, we have talked about some of the tech gaps that can cause quite some frustration both for your patients and for your staff. Yet, you may not be able to see your way around those, since you canât just have one of your team members constantly answering calls, for example, and you also donât want to lose patients and miss what they have to say and ask. Well, when you click here, you will realize that there is a solution to this problem that doesnât really consist of you just saying no to all of those tech options that donât work and without having anything different to offer. In short, there is something different to offer.
As you may have guessed it, I am referring to the idea of using call answering services to your advantage. This way, your patients will be able to easily reach a real person 24/7, which is sure to improve their satisfaction, and thus be a good reflection on your overall organization. So, take your time to find the right provider and start benefiting from call answering services right away, because those may be just what you need to close the gap.
