Cancellations in Bad Weather? You May Need A Specialist to Help Fill Open Slots

Cancellations in bad weather? You may need a specialist to help you fill open slots. If you work in operations in a healthcare provider organization, then you know how bad it can get when the weather gets bad. Patients cancel or need to be rescheduled. Holes in the calendar have to be filled to avoid costly downtime. The phones are jammed and you might also be short-staffed.

Here’s how an actual medical practice in Baltimore is responding with technology:

We are a busy practice, and patients expect to wait at least three to four weeks for an appointment in the best of circumstances. Like any practice in our area, we get cancellations as soon as there is a hint of bad weather. But we hardly get stuck with any open slots. At least not for very long. As soon as someone cancels, the opening is posted on Everseat, and usually not more than a minute or two later an existing patient or even a new patient clicks on it to indicate they want to take that appointment. Our office is notified in real time and can determine in a matter of minutes whether it makes sense to fit them into that slot or to accommodate them in some other way. How do these patients know our available appointments are posted on Everseat? When they call us or visit the office, we tell them about it. We say that they can opt in for digital notification of available open slots. At any given time, we have dozens of people who have chosen to be pinged on their smartphone when something convenient for their specifications opens up. When they get in, they feel like they won the appointment lottery. And we are delighted because we are here to take care of our patients and there is nothing we would rather be doing.

Here are a few thoughts to consider as you cope with weather chaos or think about what you will do when it next comes your way:

When patients start canceling, you need an efficient and reliable way to replace them with the right patients in the right slots.
Using the phones to find the right patients on short notice is not easy. And it’s probably not working. At least not well enough.
If your practice is closing due to weather, re-booking all of those patients will tie up your staff and your phones for hours.
As great as your EHR or other tools are for many things, for this job you need technology, strategy and expertise
With Everseat, you can automate the entire process. You will get more done in less time; for the practice and the patients.

Everseat partners with health and wellness provider organizations of all sizes across the United States. We want to work with you. Email us at providers@everseat.com. We can have you up and ready before bad weather hits again.

Is a Swiss Army Knife the Best Solution?

Posted by James Kanka on October 6

Is a Swiss Army knife the best tool to have in the tool kit? Is it in fact the tool kit? I recently had a debate with someone about this question and I could see how one might think that the venerable brand is the one…the only. Indeed, when I think about my first Swiss Army knife – I remember day-dreaming about how I’d use all of the tools that come included. A “complete package” for anything I might encounter – from fixing a picnic table to tunneling out of Alcatraz, and maybe even opening a bottle of wine as well.

There is no doubt that this ultimate utility tool has captured the imagination of generations; but where does the utility end? Is the all-in-one really the way to go even for the ultimate outdoor enthusiast?

It occurs to me that some companies in the robust and varied healthcare software industry are the software analog to the Swiss Army knife. I’ve seen digital advertisements for systems that seem to claim they solve every problem under the sun. It would be great if they did with the daunting challenges we are all working on in healthcare. Watching the insurance climate as well as the changing landscape of patient expectations, I wake up every morning thankful that I am involved in an incredibly dynamic sector. I also wake up increasingly skeptical that anyone can build an all-in-one tool like a Swiss Army knife that will really perform as advertised.

My focus – and the focus of our amazing team at Everseat – continues to be matching up supply and demand – which is a fancy way of saying “we do scheduling.” Specialization does not mean a narrowing focus. On the contrary – we provide custom applications and processes for every single provider we encounter because the genius of digital solutions is that they are adaptable to meet the needs and the goals of the user. Some of our customers use Everseat to share information about late cancellations; and others use it to increase access to every-day appointments via their website. We relish the opportunity to get inside the chess game each customer is playing about how to expand access and increase efficiency at the same time. We are experts at making it easier for patients to get the appointments they need, and helping the practice to maximize the use of a very busy schedule.

I loved my Swiss Army knife. In fact, I still take it with me on trips with my boys where anything is possible and you never know which tool you may need. But in healthcare technology, I am grateful that provider organizations and practice management platforms continue to turn to specialists like Everseat seeking innovative partnerships. I admire ambition but I am skeptical of any company out there claiming that their system does it all. We do what we do best. We see that it makes an immediate and a lasting difference for patients and providers alike.

Riding in the Fast Lane Towards Patient Satisfaction

Posted by James Kanka on July 29

The best experience I have ever had with valet parking happened to me while visiting a major healthcare system in New England last week. And it got me thinking: I wonder if the entire process of being a patient could be as well designed as the system this terrific institution has set up for parking your car.

I was visiting this particular medical center to talk with members of its leadership team about improving operating efficiency and patient satisfaction by deploying some new digital tools and strategies we have developed at Everseat.

Valet is nice – and I think most people are used to seeing this at certain restaurants and hotels. Valet parking for doctor’s appointments is thoughtful and is surely appreciated. People are generally on edge, maybe emotional and likely not 100% healthy. Wonderful idea. I have also seen valet at LifeBridge Health (an Everseat client) in Baltimore.

So – this medical center in New England has a particularly phenomenal valet parking service for cars that pull up to the front door; but what struck me about this otherwise familiar experience was the check out. When I handed the cashier my valet ticket, she scanned it with a handheld device, and this process automatically triggered a notification to the garage attendants who were a quarter-mile away. No phone call. No college kid taking my keys and sprinting across the campus. A simple ping. A signal. A digital notification that carried all of the information required to have my car brought right to me. How clever!

A bit of a devlish smile crossed my face. What if making an appointment here was just as easy as getting your car back after you were finished seeing your doctor? That is exactly the conversation we had been engaged in – and this institution clearly has both the patient experience and the use of smart technology top of mind. Everseat, I demonstrated to the leaders of a variety of service lines from primary care, urology, neurology and many others, is a software platform that helps notify nearby patients when a physician they want to see has an open appointment. A simple ping alerts patients that need to get in to see their primary care doctor, dermatologist, OBGYN, neurologist, physical therapist, or anyone else important to their health. You get the point. Could we help these thoughtful administrators create a system of patient access that was as seamless and satisfying as the way their valets go about reuniting patients with their cars? The answer is yes.

I left the meeting feeling optimistic – the leadership of this medical center saw the value in the Everseat software platform and how it would enhance their ongoing work on improving efficiency and access. When my ticket stub in the hands of the cashier triggered a digital notification to the garage crew that I needed my Ford Fusion back, I knew the odds of my success helping these healthcare leaders meet their goals were very good.

Thoughtful ideas are everywhere. This group is taking valet parking to a new level, and something tells me that their patients are very appreciative.

Identifying and Solving Patient Access Problems

Posted by James Kanka on June 17

As the technology around us continues to advance, our lives continue to become more efficient. Now more than ever, things like transportation, shopping and dining are increasingly accessible to consumers. However, the medical field has lagged behind these other industries. Why is that?

With the passing of the Affordable Care Act, more citizens have become insured thus increasing the demands for health care. Alarmingly the average patient must wait 18 days for a physician and in some high-density cities such as Boston; the wait time is as high as 66 days for an appointment. Long waits to access care endanger patient well-being and damage health systems’ reputations and finances.

But don’t fear, there are solutions to embrace. Acknowledging the necessity for change in health care is simple, but how would a successful health care system go about acting on this knowledge?

Creating a specific approach aimed at accessibility and efficiency is the first step. Hospitals and health systems that develop patient-centered scheduling systems will reap the extraordinary benefits of a healthier and more satisfied patient base.

Our recent white paper—How Accessible is Your Health System? Identifying and Solving Patient Access Problems—describes the challenges of creating a more accessible health system, and explores the latest solutions. Learn how to move your own health system toward greater accessibility with emerging technology and improved protocols.

Patient Access Problems Get Under Her Skin—Everseat Sits Down with Boston Dermatologist Dr. Emmy Graber

Posted by James Kanka on May 25 with 2 Comments

Memorial Day weekend is here and that means more sun and more time exposing your skin to its pleasing but also potentially harmful rays. In fact, May is Melanoma Awareness Month and a good time to reflect on the challenge of getting an appointment with a dermatologist – not an easy task.

A survey of 7,499 patients who saw U.S. dermatologists from 2011-2012 found that 31% of patients reported a problem with scheduling their appointment. Of those who had an appointment problem, 47% said it took too long to get an appointment.

Cities across the United States consistently show long wait times for getting dermatology appointments. According to the Commonwealth Fund, the average wait time for a dermatology appointment in Philadelphia is 47 days; in Minneapolis the average wait time is 56 days; and in Boston, it is 72 days.

Everseat asked highly regarded Boston Dermatologist Dr. Emmy Graber for her perspective on the challenge of patient access in dermatology. The following are our questions and her answers, edited only for clarity.

Are you familiar with the phenomenon in dermatology of long waits for new patient appointments?

Oh yes! Absolutely. I frequently get complaints from patients that they have had to wait weeks and often months to see a dermatologist. Not only do I hear this from patients but also from primary care physicians who want to refer patients to a dermatologist. A primary care physician might see a rash or a lesion that he or she thinks needs attention from a dermatologist but can’t find a dermatologist that has any openings for months. It is frustrating both for patients and for primary care physicians.

What do you think is contributing to this trend?

There is an increasing demand for dermatologists. As the public becomes more educated about skin cancer, patients are looking to dermatologists for skin examinations to catch and treat any suspicious lesions. Years ago not as many people went to the dermatologist for preventative services like skin checks. Today many people have a dermatologist that they see regularly for skin cancer screenings. It is great that more people are aware of the need for preventative screenings but it also increases demand for dermatologists and thereby increases the wait for an appointment. The resulting delay can be especially problematic for those that have an acute problem such as a rash or painful growth that needs to be treated immediately.

What kinds of innovations are you seeing in the field to expand access to the care of dermatologists?

I see two main types of innovations geared towards those seeking the attention of dermatologists. First, there are scheduling innovations. These may be in the form of apps such as Everseat, that can help people find an available appointment. By using the app, a patient can easily see what office in their area has an opening without having to call each individual office. Second, teledermatology is an innovation that enables patients to get dermatologic care without visiting a dermatologist. Patients send photos of their skin to a dermatologist who can then review the images and remotely instruct the patient on the best course of action.

How are you choosing to differentiate your practice from others that patients can choose from, and how will you make sure they can get in to see you?

I strive to create a convenient, enjoyable experience for all of our patients and I want this positive experience to start even before a patient steps in the door. To that end, we aim to be as accessible as possible. I have tailored our office hours to accommodate early risers who want to come in before work or school and also have evening hours and lunchtime appointments. Patients can find us through the Everseat app to get an appointment at a moment’s notice.

For our existing patients, we have a patient portal so that they can communicate with us via email without having to call into the office with questions or concerns. In the next few months we are rolling out a telemedicine initiative so that we can advise patients who can’t physically get to our office. Many people do not think that going to a doctor’s office is a pleasant experience and I am trying to change that. The whole experience starts with booking an appointment and I want to make it a seamless, easy process.

Dr. Emmy Graber is the founder and President of the Dermatology Institute of Boston. She is a former Assistant Professor of Dermatology at Boston University School of Medicine where she was Director of the BU Cosmetic and Laser at Boston Medical Center. Visit www.DermBoston.com for additional information.

To book an appointment with a dermatologist, or another type of provider, check out available appointments on app.everseat.com.

Caring for Baby Boomers in the Digital Age—What Role do Healthcare Apps Play?

Posted by James Kanka on April 29

We all know baby boomers are aging. They are getting older in a time when there are more and more simple digital tools available to their caregivers every day. You might be surprised that in U.S. households that have broadband, where 76% own a smartphone, less than 40% of caregivers use an app to assist with care-giving tasks.

A new study from Parks Associates shares this finding, and attributes the relatively low overall utilization rate to the simple fact that caregivers above a certain age don’t use apps as much as their younger counterparts. This is a present challenge to app adoption – but aging itself ought to take care of it, given that adults between the ages of 18 and 24 are currently only 28% of the caregiver population but account for half of the app users (according to Parks).

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Parks has a very clear prescription: the makers and marketers of consumer healthcare apps need to develop outreach and training programs that will attract the largest cohort of caregivers – those between 45 and 54 years of age. Twenty-seven percent of caregivers fall in this age-range, but they make up only 16% of the app users.

Earlier this year, Becker’s compiled a list of 40 helpful apps for physicians and consumers to know. Everseat was glad to be listed for helping patients and their caregivers get the appointments they need without needing to call the doctor’s office.

Other tools useful for caregivers on the Becker’s List include Amwell for telehealth visits, Pillpack and Medisafe for ease of filling prescriptions and managing a schedule for taking medications according to doctor’s orders, and Twine for supporting chronic disease patients by integrating their wearable tech devices into a stream of data their caregivers and physicians can put to use.

In short – there are many apps available and more all the time. As for the long-term future of app usage by caregivers, Aditi Pai of Mobihealthnews reports that according to Parks Associates Senior Director of Research Harry Wang, “Consumers in the 35-44 age range are a key bracket,” he said. “Those currently at this age will bring apps with them as they take on more caregiver responsibilities for their aging parents. At the same time, younger consumers will age into this segment, and these millennials will lean heavily on mobile and connected technologies as they prepare to tackle caregiver challenges in their families.”

How Tech-Savvy Practices Reduce No Shows

Posted by James Kanka on March 2

You know that last-minute cancellations and no-shows are costly for you and terrible for patient care and satisfaction. Most practices — some still using legacy scheduling systems and attached to old processes — are just living with the frustration and revenue loss of this chronic problem, chalking it up to a “cost of doing business.” But some tech-savvy practices are mitigating or even solving the challenge.

Let’s take a look at some of the creative approaches these practices are taking.

Reminders, Reminders, Reminders
It happens — patients forget their appointments. That’s where appointment reminders come in. Practices have seen moderate success in reducing appointment no-shows by adding text, email, or phone reminders to the scheduling process. Most automated reminder systems can be customized to deliver messages via any modality that is right for your patient population.

Telemedicine and Phone Visits
Another reason patients no-show? Accessibility. Common barriers include limited transportation options and illness of a family member. One solution when patients simply cannot get to you may lie in the embrace of telemedicine.

Today, 48 states and Washington, D.C., provide some form of Medicaid reimbursement for telehealth services, and 32 (plus D.C.) have some form of private payer policy in place. Some reports indicate that seven million will use telemedicine services in 2018 (up from just 350,000 in 2013). It’s about better service quality, and getting started may not be as costly as you think.

Appointment Management and Scheduling Software
By the time 2020 rolls around, two-thirds of U.S. health systems could be offering digital self-scheduling, and almost as many patients could be booking their medical appointments online.

Self-scheduling is beneficial to patients and providers alike. Patients feel it’s easier to manage their appointments and can do it from their mobile device, and providers save time and money by fielding fewer phone calls. Plus, as the telephone ceases to be the primary tool used on smartphones, scheduling appointments by a touch of the screen is going to be the new normal, and for many, it already is.

Simply put, practices that take advantage of technology like appointment reminders, telehealth services, and self-scheduling systems offer better patient service, and are better able to reduce missed appointments.

Want to learn more about how digital tools can help you reduce costs and make scheduling more convenient for your patients? Contact us today.

Top 5 Inefficiencies in Hospital Operations

Posted by James Kanka on February 17 with 131 Comments

In the face of sweeping changes to care delivery due to the Affordable Care Act, concerns over hospital efficiency and access to services are unsurprising. Indeed, though more Americans are insured today than ever before, over 20% report that nonfinancial barriers have led to “unmet needs or delayed care,” with accessibility to hospitals cited as one of the primary reasons. That’s despite the fact that admissions are, in fact, continuing to go down.

So, what’s going on here? The answer is complicated.

Shortage of clinicians
The dearth of primary care doctors and nurses was anticipated, and solutions have been suggested and tested, including the greater use of physician assistants and nurse practitioners to handle lower-level care decisions. But by some estimates, the shortage will become even more pronounced in the next five years — upwards of 20,000 missing primary care providers by 2020, and as many as 90,000 by 2025.

With 16.4 million newly insured and sometimes chronically ill patients now covered under Obamacare, bottlenecks of quite sick people are likely to continue to occur in hospitals across the country. And a clinician shortage affects more than just efficiency. For obvious reasons, well-staffed hospital departments see lower patient mortality rates and higher care quality scores, too.

Poorly-managed patient flow
For over a decade, smooth patient flow has been recognized as one of the most critical factors in preventing overcrowding, delays in care delivery, and maintaining efficiency in hospital settings. Yet data shows that hospitals, particularly emergency departments, remain overcrowded and marked by lengthy average wait times. Part of this is certainly attributable to the ongoing provider shortage.

Lengthy hospital stays, or delayed discharges
Whether because patients aren’t being discharged as soon as they can be, hospital inpatients are sicker than ever before, or planning and coordination among specialists is poor, the length of the average hospital stay has been gradually increasing, standing in 2015 at just under five days. These longer stays aren’t just costly, running between about $1,800 and $2,300 patient per day — they also cost hospitals beds, resulting in fewer spots for inbound patients.

High readmission rates
Despite the provisions of the ACA’s Hospital Readmission Reduction Program, which implements Medicare payment reductions for hospitals with too many readmissions, the number of hospitals being penalized for 30-day readmissions were higher in 2015 than in prior years. What’s causing this “u-turn” or “revolving door” syndrome? According to a report by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, avoidable readmissions often occur because inpatient care quality and care coordination is poor.

Poor communication
At the root of poor patient flow, lengthy stays, and high readmission rates may well be inefficient communication among care teams. A survey from the Ponemon Institute of more than 400 providers found that poor communication is costing upwards of $11 billion industry-wide. What is causing communication breakdowns? Some point to shortcomings in or total lack of technology — inadequate pagers or wireless connectivity, for instance.

Others blame cumbersome processes, like those around patient admissions and transfers. The same Ponemon survey revealed, for example, that more than half of the amount of time required for admitting one patient (51 minutes) was wasted on communication inefficiencies. And it’s not just communication between doctors, nurses, and other medical staff that’s affecting the bottom line. Poor communication between patients and providers has been shown to lead to costly readmissions.

In the face of a multifaceted problem, where do solutions lie? One option may be found in focusing on the “handful” of conditions that are the costliest in terms of time and money to treat, the top five being septicemia, osteoarthritis, complication of device implant or graft, newborn infants, and acute myocardial infarction. Scheduling optimization, including the use of better tools to help schedule outpatient procedures and manage patient flow from department to department, presents another avenue of improvement. Regardless, options would be best sought quickly given the number of newly insured patients sure to enter the market in years to come.

To learn more about models of care efficiency and tools that can help improve care delivery, contact Everseat.

How to Determine ROI for Health IT Investments

Posted by James Kanka on February 3

It’s an encounter that nearly every independent physician has had by now at least once: the sales pitch for a tech solution that will improve the way the practice runs. The promises are big — simplicity, efficiency, “painless” billing, seamless appointment-booking — and as the medical technology industry continues to grow, it seems likely that the capabilities of these products will, too. It’s certainly growing: EvaluateMedTech’s World Preview 2015 forecasts that worldwide sales will reach over $477 billion by 2020.

Another familiar moment for doctors? The sticker shock when glimpsing the price tag on a shiny new EHR, patient portal, or online scheduling tool. For example, HealthIT.gov quotes the cost of purchasing and installing an EHR at as high as $70,000. But by some estimates, implementing an EHR could cost over $163,000 for a single doctor. And that’s before factoring in software licensing, training, and maintenance fees, not to mention unforeseen costs. Patient portals, too, are expensive to initiate, yet can ultimately encourage your patients to be more engaged with their care.

With all this money — and time, for training, onboarding, and testing — the inevitable question arises: Is this new technology I’m about to invest in worth it? Or, to put it another way, how can I determine the return on my investment? Though every software product and service out there is a little different, it is possible to calculate the ROI of your tech investment by considering the following framework.

Identify cost centers the technology is meant to alleviate — and calculate how much those pain points are costing you today.
What functions of your practice are the most time-consuming — and ultimately the costliest? Is it fielding patient phone calls on your scheduling line? Or are bottlenecks in your recordkeeping process disrupting the flow of patient paperwork? If you’re already keenly aware of where operational inefficiencies lie in your practice, then begin to investigate just how much these inefficiencies are costing you on a monthly and yearly basis. Knowing where a new solution is needed and knowing how much a given process is costing you now gives you a measuring stick against which to compare any costs associated with a new technology.

Make a reasonable estimate of what costs will be post-implementation.
Of course, vendors selling you EHR technology and other software will promise the moon, including low costs for getting up and running, then maintaining the system they tout. You’ve heard it before: “cut your collection time in half,” or “reduce average hold times to less than 30 seconds per caller.” Remember, companies want your money and your signature on the dotted line, and if their reps think that quoting phenomenal results will put the pen in your hand, they won’t hesitate to tell you about the absolute best performance scenarios they’ve got. So remember to apply a healthy dose of skepticism to whatever sample numbers you’re being given. That said, those numbers aren’t a bad place to start when you sit down to make your evaluation of how a given piece of software will affect your monthly and yearly costs.

Don’t forget to factor in time.
Many doctors on the other side of a tech adoption process don’t take into account how much time it takes to prepare for, implement, and train staff on its use. During the ramp-up phase, you might be less productive than you were before you added the technology. Additionally, in the case of a new EHR implementation, depending on the size of the practice and technology used for converting existing patient records into digital files, it can take months (and staff overtime or outside help) to successfully scan and properly store every record. And remember — just because your patients’ data is saved in electronic form doesn’t mean that their paper files can be destroyed immediately. Depending on the state and the capability of your EHR to provide full copies of a patient record, you may still be required to retain paper records for up to five years.

Be realistic about the degree to which the technology will be used.
One of the longstanding concerns associated with technology in the healthcare sphere is that patients and providers will shy away from use — for doctors because of fears that it may hinder their efficiency and communication with patients more than it helps, for patients because they don’t see the benefit, and for both because the technology may feel too difficult to learn. Indeed, Deloitte reports that while nine out of 10 doctors say they are interested in mobile health technology, only about 24 percent are actually using such tools. And the majority of Americans say they aren’t yet using a patient portal. So it’s important to be mindful of how quickly adoption will follow implementation.

Despite the cost and effort associated with a successful implementation, health IT tools are undeniably the wave of the future, especially as patients get more plugged in and their expectations begin to change. And there are major payoffs to using tools that work well — 79 percent of providers said that an EHR improved their practice efficiency. It’s critical to use the framework above to guide your decision-making about any new technology to make sure that the product is realistic to your practice and its unique expenses. There are also lots of good ROI templates and forecasting calculators out there these days that can help you navigate. If you’d like to talk more about low-cost ways to improve efficiency and patient satisfaction, we’re here to help, so reach out today.

Fast Care Nation: Is Convenience King in Healthcare?

Posted by James Kanka on January 6

Now more than ever, patients expect and covet convenience from their healthcare providers, alongside quality of care and privacy. This is especially true among younger patients, who have become accustomed to on-demand access to all kinds of goods and services, thanks to web platforms ranging from Amazon.com to Open Table. In fact, patients under 40 are almost 50 percent more likely to not even have an ongoing relationship with a primary-care physician, relying almost exclusively on walk-in clinics and other nontraditional modes of primary-care delivery.

Is the focus on convenience good for patients? That depends on many factors. But the phenomenon is here to stay. And many hospitals and practices are coming to understand that inconvenient scheduling is increasingly a competitive challenge. Yet what many don’t realize is that it is also a factor in whether your existing patients will even show up for their scheduled appointments. Truth be told, I have no-showed at my own doctor’s office more than once. A simple phone call would have been nice, and I am not proud of being so inconsiderate. My experience and a little data tells me that I am not alone. One survey of patients who skipped their appointments at a large genetics practice, for example, found that “too busy” and “forgot” were the two most-common reasons given. And the longer patients have to wait for an appointment, the more likely they are to miss it.

Why is convenience rising in importance for patients? And what can you do to make your practice more accessible?

Walk-in clinics are becoming more common
They’re springing up everywhere: retail clinics associated inside big box stores and in freestanding pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens. And there are more to come: big retail pharmacies are investing more heavily in their retail clinic business, spurred by lessening profitability in the sale of medications, which means your competition for patients could be increasing. Indeed, CVS projects operating 1,500 clinic outlets by 2017.

Adding to the allure of visiting a retail clinic is the fact that many publish their prices for certain services outright on their websites — Target lists “convenient same-day care” by a nurse practitioner or physicians’ assistant for “treatment for minor illnesses” at between $79–$89.

And even though these clinics don’t claim to replace primary-care providers, the fact is that many patients simply find them more convenient for minor day-to-day issues, especially if they can’t get in to see you on short notice.

Americans feel more rushed than ever
With Gallup reporting that employed Americans adults work, on average, nearly six days a week, it should come as no surprise that we feel more rushed than ever before.

In fact, American moms, who make most healthcare decisions for their families, report having just 36 minutes of free time per day. With time this strapped across the board among parents and non-parents, full-time and part-time workers, it’s easy to understand why the need for convenience in all things, healthcare included, has risen in recent years.

So, knowing that patients want convenience, particularly as the out-of-pocket cost of healthcare continues to go up and people are feeling more and more rushed, what can you do to make your practice more convenient?

Put the power to book and reschedule appointments in patients’ hands. Self-scheduling is set to explode in the coming years. As many as 64 percent of patients will book appointments digitally by the end of 2019. Offering the ability to use a smartphone or tablet to jump in line to see the doctor — and to be notified immediately when an appointment is available — will help patients feel more in control, and that care is more accessible.

Keep track of repeat no-shows. These patients are inflating the wait time to see the doctor for everyone else. Track who often doesn’t show up or cancels at the last minute, and consider charging them (us!) for missed appointments or deploying a software solution like Smart Scheduling, for example.

Dedicate an hour of the schedule each day to walk-ins. By quarantining time in the regular schedule each day or week and advertising this time to patients as open for walk-ins, you let patients know that they have an option outside of visiting the ER or a retail clinic.

Now, more than ever, convenience is important to Americans in seeking health care. Coupled with accessibility of the doctor, digital services, and good communication, ease of getting an appointment is becoming more and more important to patients. Convenience may not be king all on its own but it has definitely taken a prominent seat at the table.

To learn more about putting the power to book appointments in your patients’ hands and making your practice more convenient, contact Everseat.

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