3 Ways to Automate for a Better Patient Experience

Patient experience expectations are at an all-time high. Dubbed the Amazon Effect, it is the phenomenon where retail and e-commerce companies have made it super simple to conduct business – and now consumers expect that same simplicity and ease from every company they do business with no matter the industry.

That expectation can be especially challenging for those in highly regulated industries like healthcare and health technology. Privacy expectations and regulations are expansive, and given the inherent regulatory requirements, it’s essential every aspect is done right.

And while expectations about the patient experience are changing, there are also numerous challenges facing hospitals and healthcare providers, including confronting affordability, digitizing healthcare, and solving clinical workforce shortages. Each challenge area is expansive in its own right, there are ways technology like AI and virtual services can help to move experiences forward. Here are three ways healthcare and health tech organizations can leverage automation for a better patient experience throughout the experience journey.

Appointment reminders

By now, we’ve all experienced receiving an email, phone call, or text reminder of an upcoming appointment. In a healthcare setting, these are best delivered 1-3 days prior and can include helpful information such as a reminder of “no food or drink 24 hours beforehand.”

• What’s next? To make the experience better, consider adding to the reminder a link to use if you need to change your appointment, a click-to-call number to schedule a free ride, or a link to the address so they can map it themselves.

Prescription refills

National pharmacies such as Walgreens and CVS have been using prescription refill phone applications for many years with great success. It’s a formula that’s straightforward while offering options for the day and time for pickup and can easily be duplicated.

• What’s next? For patients who qualify, offer delivery assistance.

Patient referrals

With all the advances in automation, one area that is primarily still handled with a written note or a phone call is a patient referral. Where the process can be frustrating, inconsistent, and prone to human error.

• What’s next? Automate referrals where the diagnosis, insurance information, patient records, and all necessary documentation and context travel with the referral request. The new office could then even automate available appointment days and times, immediately send back a confirmation and finally schedule the appointment reminder.

The goal is to take tasks and activities that are an important part of the healthcare experience and make them as straightforward, accessible and simple as possible.

The first step to understanding where you can get the most value from automation is understanding the experience journey. Get all your experience data in one single source of truth so that you can understand touchpoints and experience. Leverage BI to identify where you can gain both experience improvements and operational efficiencies.

The results are powerful and include consistent experience, reduced human error, and improved patient and business outcomes.

SuccessKPI can help you automate actions, analyze your patient interactions and turn them into a better overall experience. See how healthcare providers are transforming patient experience today.