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How Does Telemedicine Improve the Patient Experience: 8 Features Any Physician Needs to Know

A fair share of physicians are wary of shifting to telemedicine despite patients actively flocking to this method of care. A recent McKinsey physician survey revealed that one in every two patients (55 percent) is satisfied with telehealth over in-person care. At the same time, only 32 percent of physicians stated telehealth can improve the patient experience. 

Telemedicine is a convenient and less-expensive option for patients. At the same time, remote healthcare providers are gaining benefits as well. Win-win features of telemedicine include:

  • Fewer administrative burdens
  • More accessible healthcare
  • Faster care delivery
  • Lower no-show rate
  • Time savings and increased patient safety
  • More accurate health data
  • Security of sensitive data
  • Personalized care services

Besides explaining the value of each feature, in this article we’ll talk about patient experience and satisfaction and how telemedicine helps improve them. Let’s go!

Patient experience vs. patient satisfaction — what’s the difference? 

Although the definitions might seem similar, there’s a principal difference between the patient experience and patient satisfaction. 

The patient experience is the result of patient interactions with a healthcare provider and the services they provide. For instance, accessibility, communication with doctors, check-out procedures, and financial interactions (ability to pay bills through multiple methods) are all aspects of the patient experience. These features define a patient’s eventual satisfaction with the services. 

Patient satisfaction is about whether a health encounter lives up to a patient’s expectations. Hence, different people can have completely different satisfaction levels for the same experience.

patient experience

With this in mind, it’s important to admit that there is always a risk that your efforts as a physician could be rejected by a specific patient cohort. Do your best to minimize this risk by choosing a reliable telemedicine technology provider. 

When choosing a telemedicine platform, double-check if it provides all the features required for your business. Platform also has to guarantee data security, be customizable, and possess ongoing tech support. As a physician with a traditional medical practice, shifting to a new online dimension can feel strange. To become more comfortable with this shift, it’s a good idea to start collecting actionable information on telemedicine. 

If you want to jump-start a telemedicine business hassle-free, check out how to do it in our 1-2-3 step guide.

There is no need to worry about not knowing something. Reliable tech vendors provide onboarding consultations for practitioners. That’s what they call a tailored approach. Once an online telemedicine business is set up, physicians are ready to deliver a wide range of advantages to their patients. What advantages? Scroll on to find out.

How can telemedicine improve the patient experience

It’s crucial that your patients have a great experience while receiving your services, since a positive patient experience leads to patient satisfaction and increased loyalty. This, in turn, increases patient retention and your revenue. In our research, we’ve collected some of the most important advantages of a positive telemedicine experience for your patients. Let’s examine each of the benefits in detail!

telemedicine advantages

Fewer administrative burdens

With telemedicine software, you can delegate scheduling to your clients, and they will be happy to do it themselves! Let them see your calendar and book a time slot according to their schedule and your availability. No more tedious back-and-forth communication that adds little to a great patient experience. A booking page is a solution to this problem. 

booking widget

For instance, the ExpertBox booking page can be added to your website so your patients can schedule a meeting straightaway. With this page, patients can easily reach out to a relevant doctor 24/7.

Enable your clients to book consultations with you through your website, social media, or via a direct link to a booking page with ExpertBox booking page. While your services are available on different channels of communication, you increase your reach. More books. More patients. More positive experience.

More accessible healthcare

For traditional office visits, the accessibility of medical services depends on the location of patients and clinics. Furthermore, patients with disabilities may struggle to get to a doctor regardless of their location. For patients who have chronic diseases, routine in-person doctor visits turn into a significant expenditure. However, telemedicine provides 24/7 access in just a couple of clicks. Through telemedicine, the most vulnerable populations living in underserved geographical areas can receive the care they need. 

Faster care delivery

Often, patients require immediate consultations. For instance, a patient may experience sudden sharp and shooting pains in the middle of the night when offline clinics are closed. If the pain is unbearable, an immediate consultation may be needed. However, this might not be a reason to call an ambulance. So, what should patients do in a situation like this? With telemedicine, they can get a consultation in minutes, anytime. A doctor can sign an electronic prescription so the patient can purchase medication and soothe their pain.

Lower no-show rate 

Every single meeting with a doctor is vital to patients since it relates to their health. Thus, ensuring that a scheduled appointment will take place is a top priority for both patients and physicians. To minimize the no-show rate, telemedicine software provides users with automated notifications that contain important appointment information. Notifications are extremely efficient when it comes to periodic medical examinations, as patients are likely to forget about regular or annual visits. Physicians can set a reminder for a future date so their patients won’t miss an important examination. 

appointment reminder

With ExpertBox, patients receive an email about an upcoming appointment one day before, 30 minutes before, and at the moment the appointment starts.

Share your calendar with your patients so they can book a meeting with you through multiple channels 24/7.

Time savings and increased patient safety

Waiting in line is one of the principal causes of negative patient experiences. Besides wasting time, offline visits can be a potential risk to patients' health. Going to public spaces may increase the possibility of catching an airborne infection. Remote healthcare allows patients to stay safe at home and doesn’t waste their time in traffic and waiting rooms.

More accurate health data

Telehealth utilizes connected devices such as smartwatches and fitness wearables to collect vital data about patients in real time so that physicians can improve their diagnostic outputs due to more accurate data. This in turn improves recovery rates. 

Security of sensitive data

Patients can rest assured that their electronic medical records (which include sensitive data) are secured. Healthcare industry players meet a Healthcare Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance checklist for data storage. Besides protecting patients’ medical records, telemedicine software platforms provide patients with constant access to them. With online treatment, all video conferences, chats, shared files, and documents are saved to telemedicine platform accounts. Patients and practitioners only have to log in to access records.

Personalized care services

Telemedicine allows practitioners to study a patient’s medical history right before the meeting. This facilitates better care, as physicians go to the meeting with all the necessary information on their desk in a telemedicine platform account. Hence, they can start the consultation right off the bat, and the entire meeting is dedicated to the patient’s treatment. 

expertbox intaking form

With ExpertBox software solutions, practitioners can request all vital information from their patients via intake forms before the appointment. Such interactive communication establishes a solid emotional connection between the healthcare provider and their patient and improves the patient experience.

Serve efficient treatment to your patients by collecting all vital information through intake forms by ExpertBox.

Summing up

Telemedicine is a win-win solution for physicians and their patients. Remote consultation is at its peak since the healthcare industry’s target audience has been migrating online. For patients living in rural areas or patients with disabilities, getting to a clinic can be a real challenge. On the other hand, it may also be difficult for those who travel often to find high-quality healthcare services in new locations.

Physicians can take advantage of the situation and shift from offline to online activity. While embracing new technologies may look too sophisticated and risky, there is good news. There are ready-made solutions and time-tested practices that healthcare market leaders offer.

FAQ
  • The patient experience is based on the results of a patient’s interaction with a service provider and is defined by the patient’s satisfaction. Patient satisfaction, in turn, is based on the patient’s expectations of the experience and are defined by the individual's perception.

  • Telemedicine provides the following benefits to patients:

    • Fewer administrative burdens
    • More accessible healthcare
    • Faster care delivery
    • Lower no-show rate
    • Time savings and increased patient safety
    • More accurate health data
    • Security of sensitive data
    • Personalized care services
  • The signs of a reliable and comprehensive healthcare tech vendor are:

    • Full-featured platform
    • Data security guarantees
    • A customizable platform
    • Ongoing tech support
    • Onboarding service
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