Patient Engagement Software Must-Have Features

Before digital technology took over health care, practicing good medicine practices was all it took providers to be successful. Fast forward to today's era of the incredibly digitalized and empowered patient — healthcare providers need to do more than start a good medical practice. They need to go the extra mile to make every aspect of their practice operation patient-centered.

In other words, they need to invest in patient engagement. Doing so will not only fuel patient satisfaction but will also promote smooth-sailing operations. One ideal way to enhance this element is by investing in quality patient engagement software. But with the plethora of software available today, how do you select the best fit for your practice? By ensuring it has the features below.

1.    Interactive, Real-Time Patient Communication

To engage means to create comfortable and meaningful connections not only in healthcare but also in all other areas of business. In that light, the patient engagement software you invest in should allow interactive, real-time patient communication. This is to say that it should have a secure messaging feature which allows the patient to engage with your practice whenever the need arises easily.

2.    Patient Scheduling

Other than facilitating easy communications between your practice and the patient, the software should also have patient scheduling functionality. This way, patients can request an appointment or request medical refills at their convenience. This significantly enhances patient satisfaction as patients no longer have to wait on hold for your office staff to answer the phone. Also, they no longer have to reach the hospital 30 minutes early to do the paperwork. They have to schedule and show up!

This will not only enhance engagement but will also be incredibly beneficial to your practice. Why?
Well, in an ordinary world, something as simple as patient appointment scheduling is an administrative task that typically calls for at least one staff member. Having this software means the patient can get it done themselves, which in turn frees up your office staff and allows them to focus on other more important roles.

3.    Appointment Reminders

The patient engagement software should also be equipped with a patient appointment reminder feature. The reminders could either be via text, emails, or a recorded message. It should notify the patient of their appointment at least a day before, and on the day they are supposed to visit.

Again, this feature benefits both you and the patient. How? Well, your client becomes more responsible for their health by ensuring they never miss an appointment. You and your staff, on the other hand, get more time to focus on record and patient flow management instead of having to remind patients of their appointments continuously. It also reduces no-show incidences.

4.    Online Bill Payment

Nothing is as frustrating as going through emails and finding overdue medical bills. It becomes even more frustrating if the patient has to go through their checkbook to unearth your billing details or when they have to wait on hold to give credit card details over the call.

So spare your patients the agony of having to go through that by making sure the engagement software you choose allows patients to make their payments at the touch of a button. It should also have appointment summaries and records.

Patient engagement has been a rapidly emerging movement and a significant buzzword in healthcare this year. When you consider the reasons, it’s not hard to figure out why. That is why you should invest in patient engagement software as it’ll help you tap into the immense benefits.

This is a guest blog entry.