In 500 Words or Less: Meet Patient Needs to Inspire Desired Actions

Inspiring patient action is essential for positive outcomes. From making and keeping appointments, to completing healthcare information forms, to following post-care instructions and, of course, paying their bills, patients need to act for the healthcare experience to deliver the best results for them and your healthcare organization.

How do providers move patients to quickly take important actions?

New technology solutions are proving effective in driving essential patient actions while helping providers to save time and money.

Just-in-time appointment reminders are sent to patients as SMS (text) messages just two hours before their appointments are scheduled to occur. Reminding patients in a timeframe so close to the actual appointment inspires many to show up for appointments on time. One provider we know has reduced its no-show rate by 2.8% simply by adding these types of appointment reminders to its regular patient communications.

Digital forms also inspire patients to take essential action: responding to important requests for information, often in the comfort and convenience of their own homes prior to appointments. Sending patients a digital link to forms is a proven way to increase their compliance. Adding optical character recognition (OCR) software to the mix makes it even easier for patients to provide information from their drivers’ licenses and medical insurance cards. A simple scan or photo of the cards can be uploaded in the providers’ office to ensure an accurate transmission of this essential data to a provider’s information system.

Allowing patients to self-serve, from setting up their appointments to making their payments, is another proven strategy for motivating them to take important actions. In RevSpring’s recent national patient survey, 27% of patients said they were frustrated with a lack of self-service healthcare options.

The bottom line.

Listen to what your patients need, then provide convenient digital solutions that meet their needs. You may be surprised to see how many patients will respond in ways you prefer if you simply make it easy for them to do so.