When you arrive at a store, it is normal to have one or more employees around asking: “Do you need help?”, “Were you looking for something special? In addition, it is almost unquestionable that every store has online attention services: complete product catalogs, home delivery service and more. But do we get the same attention when instead of going to a store, we head to a hospital? It shouldn’t surprise you to learn that in a hospital, customer service is almost as, if not more important than in any other sector. Because in a medical institution we put our health on the line. So what do we need to do to make healthcare in hospitals as reliable and efficient as in our favorite store? Let’s see what connected health is and how it can help hospitals offer excellent medical service.
What is connected health?
Times have changed. We are not only talking about the use of the internet, but also about the massive implementation of technological tools for all types of sectors, including the healthcare sector. In the digital era, all models and systems must learn and adapt to a new reality. And this is precisely what connected health means: technology in healthcare. It is the sociotechnical model of managing and delivering healthcare through or with the help of technological resources.
As a society, we have found it necessary to reinvent our models of medical and social care. With the purpose of facing the challenge of the aging population (older adults with high levels of chronic diseases). Also, to reach places with scarce economic resources, and to offer medical care in remote areas. Not to mention situations such as those experienced today by COVID-19.
The digital revolution offers this great potential. So it is now possible to develop proactive models of health and social care that are more connected, thanks to technological innovations. Such innovations are built not only to generate higher profits, but to provide care to the specific needs of each patient. And thus facilitate the efficient management of their well-being and health throughout their lives.
The effect of connected health on patients and healthcare institutions.
Healthcare outcomes are now measured not only in terms of effectiveness. In other words, for patients, it is not enough to be cured of an ailment, but also to feel that their pain and autonomy are taken into account. In addition to their sense of physical and mental well-being, the results achieved and, above all, how they are treated by their doctor and the healthcare institution.
So, although many institutions focus on providing a health service, they may be forgetting that it is necessary to attend to aspects that go beyond physical health. For example: If a patient arrives at a hospital and does not know where to go, if there is not enough information, or he wasted time because the doctor he was looking for is not there. If he had to wait long hours to be seen, if his phone calls are not answered, or if his appointment was not scheduled correctly.
Connected health and digital health tools have the power to increase patient satisfaction. Because they are the method by which healthcare institutions can finally balance medical services with customer care. Effectively managing everything to do with information technologies in connection with patients.
Therefore, connected health becomes the patients’ ally to effectively communicate their needs. Providing the following main advantages:
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More effective customer care:
Connected health is much more than having a support email and putting a phone number somewhere on a website. It is about leveraging different digital care channels and promoting multi-platform communication.
The use of smartphones, apps and information management software, complete customer service platforms, WhatsApp, website, social networks, chabots and more. All of this is crucial to effect a comprehensive medical service. Answering the patient’s questions, guiding them, anticipating their questions and covering their needs effectively.
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Immediate and specific response
When it comes to health, there is nothing more important than responding on time. In traditional systems, there are always multiple excuses for being late. Whether it’s because there are internal problems, lack of staff or because it was impossible to handle so much data. But connected health allows patients to connect with their medical providers faster and more conveniently than ever before.
If a medical institution joins the connected health approach, it can generate technological strategies that allow it to respond more quickly to patients’ needs. In addition, getting to know patients first-hand. Obtaining from them essential data to provide them with a specific and personalized service.
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Converting data into useful information
Another ongoing challenge is turning data into actionable information. Connected health can provide the right environment and the foundation for a solid understanding of how patient data can be used. Whether it is clinical data or feedback on the performance of the institution. Safeguarding that data and turning it into useful information for medical and administrative staff.
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Practical communication
Access to this information in an organized manner can improve communication. Not just between a patient and his or her physician, but between the various areas of a healthcare institution. A key element of the value proposition of connected health is its ability to provide information to the patient and involve them in the management of their own health and wellness throughout their life.
If a patient communicates a problem, it is possible to manage this information step by step. Arriving at an information center, a first assessment, payments and billing, scheduling an appointment, making the necessary confirmations and finally seeing a doctor. All this easier and faster, even in just a few clicks. Prioritizing emergency cases and distributing work responsibilities.
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Security and privacy
The connected health approach has the potential to empower healthcare workers through the delivery of essential information. But such information must be valued and safeguarded in compliance with very strict privacy standards.
Various federal and state laws regulate health information. Such as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). As healthcare providers interact with FERPA and HIPAA on a constant basis, it is important to have technological tools to help us take care of them. Avoiding paperwork and leaks of private information.
Winning patients for life
Every medical institution works towards providing quality medical services and prevailing in the market. That is to say, although it is important to satisfy the immediate needs of patients, it is also necessary to generate enough confidence so that patients want to return if they have a new need. And so they will also recommend the services to their families and relatives. In this way, the healthcare institution can continue to generate services and be a beneficiary of society.
Connected health creates a system of chain reactions. Where everything starts with the way we interact and respond to our patients. IT management technology tools can improve patient experience and satisfaction. And their satisfaction will determine whether they become lifelong users.
“Delight your customers and win them for life” This is the motto behind Freshdesk. Designed to provide functional communication channels and increase the sense of interest in patients’ well-being. Enabling healthcare employees to work as a team. Responding quickly and efficiently to patients’ needs.
If you want to know how to have an effective connected health approach and offer a more excellent healthcare service, contact Gb-Advisors.
