The new ways the healthcare industry is revolutionizing the patient experience
It’s not often the case that patients enter a hospital for overwhelmingly positive reasons.
However, whether they’re there to resolve a long-standing illness or to manage the symptoms of an ongoing condition, there are ways to revolutionize their experience for the better.
Using new technologies, the healthcare industry is starting to redefine what it means to be a patient. If you’re a hospital director, ward manager, or staff member, you may want to learn more about how these changes are taking place.
Monitoring the use of new products
Being in a hospital as a patient often means sacrificing a lot of control over your environment. But depending on the type of ward your patients are in, they can retain control over features such as entertainment, food, and some social spaces.
If your hospital is open to changing your patients’ experience, it’s not advisable to proceed without feedback. However, you can introduce new products on a selective basis to certain wards, use feedback technologies such as GrabandTell and then analyze the results to see what you want to do next.
For example, let’s say you choose to change the hospital’s menu. Before rolling it out to all wards, you may want to try it on a ward that’s representative of the population that comes through your doors. Using GrabandTell, you give customers the chance to scan a QR code and generate instant feedback about the new menu. With rapid access to patient feedback data, you can then decide whether to introduce your new menu to other wards.
Make decisions about future facilities with SMS feedback
Healthcare facilities are no longer just places where patients receive care. It isn’t unusual to find hospitals that feature coffee shops, big-name stores, and small retail outlets. Even some primary care facilities now link with other industries as this makes life more comfortable for their patients.
It’s understandable that aligning with another brand or introducing a new facility is a significant financial undertaking. As such, you may want to use systems such as SMS feedback with two possible approaches:
- Ask patients what they want. Prompting patients to send anonymized texts detailing what they want from you allows you to spot trends. Once you see where your facility is lacking, you can introduce those facilities to improve the patient experience.
- Assess the current facilities. If your healthcare facility already features a café or shop, prompt patients to send SMS feedback. This can help you decide what to introduce next.
SMS feedback is instant, rapid, and it’s something many patients feel comfortable with using. If this then results in better facilities, everyone stands to benefit.
Performing satisfaction audits in a forward-thinking manner
Healthcare is constantly evolving, which means medical facilities should also undergo regular change. When introducing ideas such as text appointments and self-check-in desks, it’s always important to ensure the patients feel comfortable. One way to achieve this is through CheckIT surveys.
Using smartphones, tablets, and laptops, CheckIT surveys grab instant feedback from patients so they can express their views on the new technologies you’re using. You may then discover trends that allow you to make their experience better. For example, some patients may feel clearer instructions are needed for self-check-in desks. If that’s the case, you can make the changes and ensure they’re accessible for all.
Final thoughts
With the right approach to technology, you can introduce changes to your healthcare facility and shape them to meet your patients’ needs. If this changes their hospital experience for the better, they may also have an easier time recovering from their treatment.
