Patient satisfaction and patient tracking systems

FRANKLIN, Wis. - May 3, 2019 - PRLog -- What does a patient tracking system consist of?

While a patient tracking system may not seem like a big deal, have you actually considered all the benefits that it can offer you? Included in a robust system are:

• Scheduling of appointments and consultations with appointment reminders

• Web-based check-in is far more efficient than having to call up

• Visit flow from the time a patient enters the facility to the time they leave

• Satisfaction surveys can be employed effectively, collecting and collating the data to provide well-presented results that can be acted upon

• Patient follow ups

• Reputation management can be very time consuming without an effective automated system

• Marketing engagement

Patient tracking software

Did you know that the flow of patients can be enhanced by utilizing patient tracking software? Manual methods such as writing appointment cards and tracking things on whiteboards may have been effective in the past, but nowadays, patients expect to be treated like customers in a hotel. Not only do they expect their confidentiality to be respected but also their time. That's why things like web check-in and a robust patient tracking system helps the entire flow of the process go much more smoothly, from when the patient goes online and signs themselves up for an appointment, to checking out. Take for example appointment reminders. In high-quality software for patient tracking, a patient will automatically receive a text message or an email reminding them about their upcoming appointment. Maybe, if they never received this reminder then they would have completely forgotten about the appointment and failed to show. This not only wastes the time of a doctor who could be seeing another patient, but also the patient in question has to go through the process of making another appointment to see the doctor all over again. These inefficiencies can cost a lot of time and money.

Key issues when it comes to improving patient satisfaction

Have you ever wondered what steps you can take if you have your mind set on improving patient satisfaction? While a healthcare practitioner may be able to recommend a certain treatment, they can't simply tell a patient to be happier. The other key issue is that if you ask a patient if they're satisfied with the service you're providing then they may feel uncomfortable about telling you to your face. That's why any feedback mechanism, such as a satisfaction survey has some degree of anonymity. Another key issue is what is done with any patient feedback once it has been received. If a patient expresses dissatisfaction, it's not enough to say that you simply need to 'try harder.' It's important to get to the root cause of the unhappiness and try to implement methods or procedures that, over time, will result in a more effective practice that has a knock-on effect in improving patient satisfaction.

Why improve patient satisfaction?

While so much emphasis is placed upon the need to improve patient satisfaction, have you ever asked yourself why you need to do this? First off, if a patient doesn't feel satisfied with the service you're providing them with, then they may no longer wish to visit your practice. They will simply go elsewhere. Secondly, if patients are satisfied, they will feel more comfortable with the treatment or advice they are getting. This positive mindset may help them get better from whatever they are suffering from. Also, their word of mouth will help to get more patients. Finally, they're far more likely to post positive reviews online.

Patient satisfaction is now a top priority. The amount of choice and transparency of information available to the general public has never been higher. A patient has high expectations of the quality of service. While methods like writing down appointments on cards worked well in the past, these practices are outdated. That's why a comprehensive and suitable electronic system is essential.
Read more at: https://www.patienttrak.net/