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.
Technology allows healthcare providers to dramatically improve the patient experience.
One place technology is changing the patient experience is with the patient check in experience.
Who can forget the painstaking process that patients had to go through of filling out multiple forms with the same information over and over again.
Thanks to digital tools, like check-in kiosks and mobile-friendly forms that can be sent via text message, the paperwork process can be streamlined for healthcare providers and patients, leaving everyone less frustrated.
Healthcare providers that are embracing digital technology increasingly turn to the use of patient portals.
Used properly, patient portals can enhance patient-provider communication and promote shared decision making.
However, many patients still report challenges in engaging with their provider-centric portals. With each provider often having their own portal, patients find it difficult getting access to personal healthcare information and managing many different logins and portal experiences.
HIPAA compliant texting applications like Curogram, help to change that painful patient experience and makes it easy for them to communicate with your office.
The majority of Americans, including more than 90% of Millennials and Gen Xers and 68% of Baby Boomers, own and use smartphones.
Yet, many providers still rely on old fashioned methods of communication with their patients, relying on phone calls and appointment cards.
By using HIPAA compliant texting, healthcare providers can engage with their patients in the way they prefer to be contacted.
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.
Using HIPAA compliant texting to send text message appointment reminders has also been shown to dramatically decrease patient no-shows.
One tool is Curogram - a powerful front desk suite for medical practices that can help your medical practice maximize technology to engage with patients.
Curogram’s desktop texting application allows your office to easily send personalized, automated and custom text messages to your patients regardless of what EMR you use.
Automated reminders and 2-way texting allows your office to reduce no shows and spend less hours on the phone, allowing you to provide your patients the convenience that they have come to expect when dealing with any service provider.
Book a demo today see how Curogram can help improve your patient engagement.