As healthcare institutions grapple with high call volumes and staffing shortages, many are turning to digital solutions to enhance patient experiences. ImagineSoftware partnered with engagement software provider, openDoctor, for an insightful conversation about implementing online scheduling solutions to address these challenges. Drawing from real-world examples, they explored how digital tools streamline operations, reduce phone traffic, and improve patient experiences in healthcare centers worldwide. Read on to learn how healthcare institutions are leveraging technology to transform their services.
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Featuring Joe Marino, OpenDoctor’s Chief Executive Officer, and Avanthi Hulugalle, OpenDoctor’s Director of Client Success and Product Strategy.
High Phone Volume
High phone volume is a significant challenge many healthcare organizations are facing. Avanthi Hulugalle notes that this creates a strain on resources, which technology can help alleviate. Implementing digital tools allows patients to schedule their own appointments online, by phone, or by text. These solutions reduce staff workload while streamlining the scheduling process for patients.
openDoctor serves as an effective solution to mitigate high call volumes in healthcare organizations. This platform lets patients schedule appointments themselves, eliminating the need for intermediaries and easing the load on administrative staff. Patients can also text in their appointment orders, further reducing call volumes. The system is user-friendly, enabling seamless appointment scheduling. It not only saves patients from long phone wait times but also empowers them to manage their healthcare scheduling independently.</p
In terms of the results, one large openDoctor client, handling hundreds of thousands of appointments annually, significantly reduced their call volume by driving patients to use text-in orders. Consequently, the healthcare provider managed their workflow efficiently with existing staff, leading to enhanced productivity. This showcases how digital solutions can reduce reliance on administrative staff, improve patient satisfaction, and positively influence staff retention.
Staffing Challenges
Staffing challenges are widespread in the healthcare sector. Many organizations struggle with hiring, retaining, and training administrative staff, including schedulers. Joe Marino notes, "From our client base, staffing is the number one challenge—the ability to hire, retain, and train schedulers and other administrative positions."
Even when candidates are available, the competitive job market often offers better salaries elsewhere. As Marino observes, "It's something that we see and probably will continue to see." Staffing issues can lead to long wait times and poor customer experiences, further compounding the challenges faced by healthcare practices.
Read more about staffing solutions here - Staffing Shortages & Losing Tribal Knowledge: Where Medical Billing Automation Can Help
The transition to technology platforms such as ImagineSoftware and openDoctor have proven instrumental in mitigating staffing challenges. Businesses grappling with high-volume calls and scheduling complexities have experienced marked improvement by shifting these processes online – significantly lessening their internal workload by encouraging patients to text in orders and schedule appointments. This strategy reduces waiting times dramatically, enhancing patient experience and operational efficiency.
The ease of online scheduling eliminates the need for staff to remember details such as room and machine weight limits, further streamlining administrative tasks. An added advantage of this digital shift is the potential for repurposing staff to more critical roles rather than elimination, thus optimizing resource utilization.
Furthermore, integrating online forms into the process not only expedites the patient's visit but also refines the overall workflow. This approach is a testament to how adopting technology can alleviate the pressure on staff, enhance efficiency, and ultimately result in better patient service. Such technological advancements will continue playing a pivotal role in addressing staff-related challenges in the future.
In conclusion, innovative technology integrations, such as ImagineSoftware and openDoctor, help mitigate common challenges among medical practices and healthcare organizations—particularly in dealing with high phone volumes and staffing issues. The use of digital tools empowers patients to schedule their own appointments, reducing the load on phone lines and enabling efficient use of staff resources. Efficient staffing, with the aid of technology, offers potential solutions to hiring, retaining, and training challenges. It's clear that integrating technology plays a significant role in overcoming these hurdles, making it highly encouraged to consider such solutions to cater to your patients' needs while ensuring optimal resource use.
Learn more during our on-demand webinar – How to Meet Your Patients in their Digital World | A Patient Engagement Webinar.