The writing is on the wall—the four walls of the traditional provider facility, that is. While patients still make in-person visits to these physical locations, they increasingly expect a short or even zero wait time once they arrive. Is your own facility ready to offer such a convenient patient experience?
Don’t think this demand for convenient care only applies to urgent care and retail clinics. Savvy health system CEOs see the writing on the wall, too—and are publicly calling for the end of the waiting room.1
A demand that’s only growing as Millennials take over
While patients of all ages appreciate quick access to quality care, the primary demographic that actually expects such convenience is the same one poised to become the most powerful buying group in America—Millennials.
Already Millennials have overtaken Baby Boomers as the largest living generation in the US, and by 2017, will carry the bulk of spending power in the United States.1 Again, this demographic expects innovation and convenience; in just one related example, 71 percent of Millennials would like their provider to use an app for booking appointments.2
Patients reward providers who deliver a convenient experience—and avoid those who don’t
As every provider who has been publicly reviewed on the internet knows, patients are eager to share in online reviews when they’ve had a good---or unpleasant—experience.
In one of the most widely cited surveys on the topic, 84 percent of over 5,000 respondents said they rely on these reviews to evaluate providers. Indeed, for most of the respondents, checking out internet reviews of providers was their first step in seeking care.1
We’ve done some research, as well. And it’s pretty clear—long wait times cost providers in more ways than one.
• The longer the wait, the less likely a patient will return.2
• The less likely new patients will come—a dissatisfied patient tells up to 25 others about his or her negative experience.3
• Long wait times adversely affect the overall patient experience, dragging down patient satisfaction scores.4
How to deliver more convenience and earn more revenue right now—without adding more staff
Shorter wait times, plus improved patient communication, is key to winning new patients and keeping existing ones. But how can providers achieve this, exactly? Add more staff at the front desk? Bring in more clinicians?
Those are expensive fixes. A much better option is to make use of automated, online tools that retailers have long relied on for great customer service. Learn more about Jellyfish’s own patient experience and communication tools here and here.
And stay tuned for more tips on this blog to increase revenue without adding more staff!
[2] Marketing to Millennials guide by Curalate
[3] State of the Connected Patient report by Salesforce
[4] http://www.softwareadvice.com/resources/how-patients-use-online-reviews/
[5] http://nciom.org/wp-content/uploads/NCMJ/nov-dec-06/Camacho.pdf
