The customer has been in control for a long time. That is a well-known fact. It has often not been the case in the healthcare industry, though, but patients are catching up fast. With private options and online ‘digital health’ services growing, patients are deciding how they want to receive their healthcare. To become a patient’s preferred healthcare provider these days, you have to put the patient experience front and center. That means putting an end to one of the top complaints – long wait times. Learn how doing a patient waiting time analysis can help make long wait times a thing of the past.
Long patient wait times are no longer acceptable
As more of the population lives in a digital world, we are used to instant gratification. Frustration and dissatisfaction peak as we wait for service with no information, sense of order, or in stressful circumstances.
As a customer of a service, we view the entire experience as one involving many touch-points including communications and physical interactions.
Often in healthcare, many touch-points include excessive waiting times and digital transformation is slow due to political budget pressures, legacy infrastructures, and a requirement for widespread cultural change.
Analyzing Patient Wait Times
It is important when looking at ways to reduce patient waiting times that the whole patient experience is considered.
- How long did the patient wait to see their doctor and receive a referral?
- How long has a patient waited for an appointment confirmation and can they easily change their appointment should they need to do so
- How long has a patient had to wait to be checked in for their appointment when arriving at a healthcare facility?
- Is the patient easily directed to their doctors’ room or testing area and kept informed at all times
- How long did the patient wait to see their doctor and receive a referral?
- Does a patient need to visit multiple specialists during their visit and how long do they need to wait throughout their visit?
- How often do they visit the healthcare facility, it may be a regular occurrence based on their condition and needs which means the waiting times add up as a whole experience
As you can see there are many areas of the patient journey which can add up to a very lengthy experience.
Digitizing the Patient Journey
With a connected patient journey, it is possible to have critical insights into the complete experience and implement improvements to reduce the actual and perceived wait times. Our guide, how digitizing the patient journey reduces wait times looks at this topic in more detail.
Connecting the Patient Experience:
- Online appointments offer a way to track patient bookings and provide a seamless way of checking patients in via kiosks and scanners as they arrive
- Patients can be kept informed with mobile alerts and digital signage
- Hospital staff have a clear view of patients waiting, and how long they have been waiting and can call patients digitally via an app
- Patients can leave feedback based on their visit to provide accurate insights
Digital transformation of healthcare provides many advances, including the improvement of the patient experience.
If you’d like to learn more about patient experience, how to measure it and how to improve it, download The Complete Guide to Patient Experience.
