Developers across every industry are encouraged to be innovative in their approach to work. In healthcare, however, experimentation can feel risky as practices strive to directly improve thousands of patients’ lives. With the trend of friction-free checkouts and payment collections that is taking over the customer experience, the patient preferences have changed to expect easy and efficient check out solutions.
As medical technology continues to evolve, patients are beginning to expect more from the healthcare industry. Concepts like kiosk check-in solutions are now more prevalent than ever in doctor’s offices, but many check-in/out processes are still antiquated, and patients are looking for a modernized solution.
Wants vs. Needs
Choice and convenience are competitive differentiators for today’s consumers in all aspects of their lives. Whether it’s a self-checkout at the grocery store, paying a bill from a laptop, or depositing a check through an app on your smartphone, consumers gravitate towards businesses that let them complete tasks at their own convenience. Customers also have experienced things like check-in kiosks, online check-in capabilities, and online scheduling, limiting the time they have to spend in line. Tools like these are becoming increasingly important in the healthcare industry, yet they are only recently being adopted by the healthcare field as patients require the same digital convenience in healthcare as they receive in the rest of their daily lives.
With the evolution of check-in technologies, patients are experiencing more convenient services. Through tech and mobile solutions, features such as geofencing or real-time reminders have impacted the services that patients receive. By enabling patients to take control over some aspects of their healthcare, self-service technology can help healthcare organizations give patients a technology experience they expect, which can increase patient satisfaction scores and allow a more enjoyable, convenient experience. Healthcare practices need to focus on giving patients the digital convenience they want and need, such as:
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- Fast and flexible check-in
- Real-time eligibility
- Point of service collections
- Discrete and custom questionnaires
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The Power of Choice
Patients are becoming more empowered to choose practices that meet their needs. Something as simple as an online search can show lists of practices that cater to their needs. Things like physician reviews, online payment methods, and digital health records are driving patient choices and are providing easy accessibility to their healthcare, which is something patients are not used to. Patients can use this information to determine whether or not a specific practice is going to serve their needs and what the benefits, drawbacks, differentiations may be between competitors. The power of choice enables patients to make the best decision for themselves. Practices must learn to differentiate themselves from the competition by providing the best patient experience imaginable through convenience, efficiency and customer service.
What’s Ahead for Healthcare Solutions
With continued improvement in technology, the future of healthcare tech will provide an overall modern and empowering experience for patients. Future check-in solutions will include:
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- All-in-one solutions that automate the end-to-end medical check-in process
- Mobile check-in from any device
- Data that flows with the patient, across doctors, insurance companies, and more
- A check-in experience that is fast and intuitive, saving patients from tedious forms and long lines
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Practices need to adapt to these changing trends in order to give their patients the digital experience, convenience, and empowerment that they want and need. By doing this, practices are able to distinguish themselves when compared to their competitors, reduce costs, increase their revenue, and collect more patient data to further grow their business. Patient satisfaction is a goal that can be obtained through a modernized and digital experience and will help your practice get the recognition it deserves from customers. 
