This combined with rising inflation, regulatory demands, increasing labor and shrinking reimbursements may explain the rise in Patient Engagement Solutions.
The industry average for patient no-shows is as high as 20% for MRIs according to this Risk Management and Healthcare Policy research paper.(2) To put it simply, no-shows are painful to your bottom line and your operations.
But, with modern problems come modern solutions and cutting-edge technologies are playing a larger role in patient engagement strategies and helping take the pressure off practices by increasing patient engagement and improving their bottom line.
So, what’s at the core of patient engagement technology, and what are the benefits of strategic patient engagement in healthcare? Keep reading to discover how these technologies are changing the game for diagnostic imaging centers and patients alike.
Simply put, they allow patients to lead their own healthcare journey.
Traditionally, healthcare services are top-down rather than bottom-up, meaning physicians dictate patient care plans without much input from the patient.
This approach often creates a disconnect between patients and their care providers, leading to poorer health outcomes and lower patient satisfaction.
Patient engagement solutions seek to change all that with the goal of less patient no-shows.
Empowering patients to take an active role in the decision-making process for their health helps build trust, enhances patient-provider communication, and ensures a healthier population. This patient-centric, value-based push also leads to improved care coordination between referring physicians and a better overall patient experience.
Increasing patient engagement has been a major priority in American healthcare for the past decade. These strategies have developed slowly over time, with each new solution building upon previous strategies to create a more comprehensive patient engagement model.
The first step was e-mail communication and websites that were accessible from mobile devices. Soon after, patient portals emerged. Later, push notifications and text messages were added to help engage patients who were spending most of their time on their phones.
As a result of the pandemic, telemedicine and telehealth solutions have taken a stronghold offering more immediate access to physicians and 24/7 medical support.
Most recently, patient engagement solutions are incorporating AI. From AI-powered patient robocalls and SMS messaging to real-time integrations with administrative workflows like scheduling and patient estimations, diagnostic radiology and outpatient centers are leaning into the power of AI to a greater degree.
Digital patient engagement is no longer a nicety, it’s a necessity for your practice. In fact, 30% of providers say that patients regularly use digital and diagnostic tools now, compared to only 17% who saw that trend two years ago.
Increasing patient engagement is at the heart of the movement toward more patient-centric care, and the benefits for both practices and patients are truly limitless.
1. Improved Patient Outcomes
By providing patients with timely information and support, patient engagement solutions can help patients take ownership of their health. When patients are empowered and more involved in the decision-making process, patient no-show rates decline and health care outcomes improve.
Patient engagement solutions also provide diagnostic imaging centers and radiology practices with better operational efficiency. Automated workflows and digital patient engagement technology can help speed up processes and reduce the administrative burden on front office staff.
Beyond improving patient care, a smart patient engagement platform frees up staff time to focus on more important tasks. With one medical study reporting 36% of front office staff feeling high levels of operational burnout, improved systems are critical to long-term success.
With automations, and more specifically, automated patient engagement solutions, diagnostic imaging centers can run more efficiently, eliminating overwhelming and costly administrative burdens.
Patient no-shows cost the healthcare industry $150 billion annually – do you know how much they’re costing your practice?
By implementing patient engagement strategies, you’ll be able to:
All three of which have high costs for your practice. By reducing these costs and bringing in more revenues from more completed appointments, your practice can significantly enhance its bottom line.
The patient experience is one of the most critical factors in healthcare. When patients share a negative experience, it’s not just a blow to your practice ego, it actually costs your practice money, visibility, and referrals.
When patients are engaged and feel confident they’re receiving the best possible care, they’re more likely to be satisfied and share their experience with their referring physician and other potential patients.
All of these benefits are critical to a diagnostic imaging center’s continued success as the industry moves toward a more value-based, patient-centric care model.
Learn More About Patient Engagement Solutions With AbbaDox
Increasingly, healthcare providers are leveraging smart patient engagement strategies to improve their ability to coordinate care, create better outcomes for patients, streamline operations, and increase their bottom line.
If you’re interested in learning more about how patient engagement solutions can improve your practice, we invite you to contact AbbaDox to learn more about our advanced patient engagement technology.
As a leading healthcare SaaS provider, AbbaDox offers patient engagement solutions that seamlessly integrate with your practice’s radiology information system, administrative workflows, referring physician tools, and overall technology stack.
Our patient engagement solutions offer a suite of application uses that help improve business processes and workflows, including our AbbaDox RIS, CRM, Referring Physician Portal, Radiology Workflow Suite, and more. Schedule a consultation today to discover how you can increase patient engagement with the power of automation!