Curogram Blog

Most healthcare providers know that engaging with patients is an important part of growing their business.  

In a recent survey, 70 percent of providers say improving patient engagement has been a top priority.  But, in that same survey, only 35 percent of patients believe their provider has improved engagement with them. 

Technology can play an important role in bridging that gap between patients and providers.

Every year, patients are growing more comfortable with the role that technology plays in addressing healthcare needs, and healthcare providers that leverage technology to engage with patients will have a competitive advantage.

When people are trying to find a local business number or address, looking for a local hair salon to go to, or searching for the nearest gas station, Google is the search tool that most of us use.  

The same is true for patients looking for a new doctor, dentist or healthcare provider.  

In 2017, 97% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses, with 12% looking every day.  Below are three reasons why you want your medical practice to be one of those businesses that patients find online reviews for.

Going to the doctor is a universal experience, and it for many people that experience is one they dread.  Studies have shown that an alarming number of patients have had a negative experience with a healthcare provider.  

In a digital age where it is easier than ever to share bad encounters, providing patients with a positive experience should be a goal of every healthcare provider.  

There is no “one size fits all solution” to successfully engage with patients, but all healthcare providers should be examining their points of contact with patients to see if they are giving patients an experience that they will remember as a positive experience. 

Here are three tips that can help your practice improve your patient’s experience.

For all businesses, how you choose to engage with your customers is incredibly important.  

Unfortunately for many healthcare organizations, that often means communicating with their patients using methods such as phone calls, letters and faxes.  

Recent studies have shown that text messaging is the preferred way for people to be reached versus emails or phone calls.  

For example, 82% of people read text messages in less than 5 minutes, but only 25% of people read emails they receive.    

Managing patient appointments is a huge headache for any medical practice.  

You want to avoid no shows and make sure that patients don’t miss their appointments, but phone calls can take up too much precious time and playing constant phone tag with patients makes no one happy.  

Fortunately, text reminder messages can provide an easy way for medical practices to manage their patient appointments and can dramatically decrease missed appointments and no shows.

Medical practices lose thousands of dollars daily due to patient no-shows, no matter the location, specialty, or practice model.