In recent years, the hospital industry struggles with low margins, which results in cost cuttings and overworked staff.
Besides, the market has to deal with quite a number of complaints from their number one cost drivers: the patients.
Patients are more critical than ever when seeking for the right hospital in order to receive healthcare service. The main reason is simply because they have the freedom to choose. With the rise of Web 2.0 more and more informations for customers get accessible, giving the patient the power to compare all options, which makes the market increasingly competitive. In all industries, people search for the best possible customer experience. The most excellent patients experience is what hospital consumers desire.
This blog post will take a deeper look on how to create a superior patient experience within the vertical of hospitals.
A report by Accenture examined the relation between patients experience and the financial achievement of hospitals. It revealed that hospitals which offer a remarkable patient experience tend to have higher margins.
According to Accenture there is one certain element that could be a key to create such an remarkable health consumer experience: “digital health best - practices”. By implementing digital solutions the hospital can achieve better reputations, improve its financial performance and beat their competitors.
Hereby Accenture displays six procedures that ensure a great patients experience:
Put Patients First
No matter in which industry, customers want to be treated special. Patients at a hospital highly appreciate if the institution adjusts to their needs. Therefore it is essential to know as much as possible about your patients. By combining your indoor wayfinding solution with an indoor positioning system, you can gain insight into people flow and identify the most popular routes and places within the hospital.
Inspire Your People
Staff members such as doctors and nurses spend more than 4,500 hours per year on giving visitors directions. By providing visitors with self-service solutions , such as indoor navigation, your medical staff will have more time on concentrating on the major practices such as taking the best possible care of patients. The workflow for all staff members can further be optimised with secure efficient route planning.
Build Trust and Loyalty
By demonstrating your patients that their satisfaction is the top priority of the hospital, you will gain trust and loyalty from them. Guarantee their welfare in every situation and provide assistance (e.g. in a digital way) in case they need support.
Embed Digital Everywhere
Provide your patients with useful information wherever and whenever. There is not always staff around who can show them the way or tell them about office hours. With digital services health care customers can access those information on their devices, around the clock.
Make It Easy
Navigate your patients to the right hospital ward or doctor. Avoiding them from spending endless hours on searching for the right place will show your patients how much you care about their time. Providing them with useful information about the hospital even before they enter the venue will make your patients feel more confident with the situation. A survey from Accenture Consulting revealed that 65% of all patients want more help before they are treated.
Continuously Innovate
Be open for new innovations. Use the power of digital solutions to outperform your competitors. Appreciate the future of healthcare that goes far beyond the hospital itself.
October 4, 2017
