With the increasing digitisation of many aspects of our lives, such as shopping, house viewings and banking, it is unsurprising that healthcare has also followed suit by using remote appointments to improve patient satisfaction.
In 2016, the NHS England’s General Practice Forward View decided to promote and invest in a programme to increase the use of online consultations in GP practices across the UK. Covid-19 has accelerated this direction of travel, with a huge shift towards remote appointments, reducing the number of patients entering public spaces and protecting the health of front line staff.
As capacity in primary care is increasingly under pressure, online consultations and remote appointments could significantly empower both patients and physicians by reducing the need for face to face contact for certain health questions, tests and treatment renewals. With patient satisfaction a primary success indicator, we take a look at how remote appointments may greatly benefit those receiving healthcare.
Perhaps the most obvious benefit of remote healthcare appointments is the convenience of booking them. Without the need to speak to a receptionist or PA, patients can make appointments when they choose (including evenings or weekends) and can spend time matching their diaries with free appointment slots.
With this digitalised approach, patients can edit, cancel and rebook appointments, avoiding the traditionally cumbersome rebooking process.
Integration with popular calendar software also means that patients can receive booking notifications, calendar invites in their online work or home diaries and emailed reminders reducing accidental no-shows.
As many of us lead increasingly complicated lives with work, childcare and other commitments, remote appointments greatly reduce the stress of factoring healthcare into our everyday lives.
For example, online appointments extend expert healthcare to remote locations, overcoming the geographical issues that many rural patients face. Patients with small children or other care commitments don’t need to plan care for the duration of their travel and appointment time. Similarly, those with mobility restrictions can communicate effectively with their healthcare providers without the need to organise costly travel.
Linked to the above point, this increase in healthcare convenience also breaks down barriers to care and can empower people to manage their health more effectively.
As healthcare providers are freed up from routine admin and wasted no-show appointment times, they have more time to communicate, educate and personalise the experiences of their patients.
Remote appointments might mean, for example, that shorter more frequent appointments are possible. This sense of having more access to your healthcare team could have a significant impact on patient satisfaction. Indeed re-admission could be significantly reduced as patients have more regular support in sticking to treatment plans.
Not only do online appointments save healthcare professionals’ time, with GPs reportedly able to see to 3 online patients in the time of a regular face to face appointment, they also save patients' time.
One study conducted in Norway showed that patients saved an average of 1 hour using an online appointment. In the same study patients also were positive about how much quicker it was to book online using online scheduling software than booking over the phone, with only 4 minutes to book online, versus 13.5 minutes on average over the phone.
Generally, companies that use analytics to improve their systems are 6.5 times more likely to hold on to customers, and an incredible 19 times more likely to gain higher profitability. The same premise applies to healthcare.
One of the key benefits of online appointment software is the ability to analyse processes and identify inefficiencies using real data. It's possible to track bottlenecks and delays in customers’ journeys to making their appointment and then fix them - possibly you already have a hunch about where the bottlenecks are, but data provides a greater level of insight. 63% of companies who use customer analytics reporting in their appointment setting processes reported increased customer satisfaction.
Patient satisfaction is just one metric where remote appointments can make a difference. Counter-intuitively perhaps, digital telehealth frees up time for healthcare professionals to spend with their patients - used well it can improve human interaction, not detract from it. What could you do with the time freed up from routine administrative tasks to improve your patients’ satisfaction?
Want to find out how you can better implement remote appointment technology into your practice or clinic? OX Virtual Hospital is a resilient, secure, and simple solution. Speak to one of the team today.
OX Virtual Waiting Room is a resilient, secure, and simple solution. Speak to one of the team today.