3 Inexpensive Tools You Should Use to Communicate With Patients

With the internet a constant in everyday life, various industries are leveraging digital communication to improve service delivery. The healthcare industry has not been left behind as it tries to adapt to the rapid changes in technology. Just like a Merchant Sales ISO helps healthcare companies to process payments, these tools are a must for healthcare providers. For anyone looking for convenient ways to interact with their patients, there are many digital communication tools to choose from. On a side note, since we are all going to be getting even more screen time, make sure you grab some blue light glasses to protect your eyes from computer screens. If you don’t know what blue light is, read up. It’s important. Back to the article. Below are 3 inexpensive ones that you can use to communicate with your patients.

1. Face-to-face video and in-app voice calls

One of the easiest and most convenient ways of interacting with your patients is through video and voice calls. With a majority of people owning phones and other electronic devices, setting up a video or voice call is as easy as using an app like WhatsApp and FaceTime. All you need is a device and internet connection or airtime subscription and you are good to go. Instead of having to deal with in-office consultations, patients can easily call in and get a diagnosis or prescription. The good news is that there are many video and voice call tools that are freely downloadable. Apart from WhatsApp and FaceTime, healthcare providers can also connect with their patients on other platforms such as Google Hangouts, Skype, or Zoom.

2. Group messaging

Another inexpensive tool for communication between patients and their healthcare providers is group messaging. This option is especially useful where regular scheduling has to be done. It is also useful in cases where patients are attended to by a team of specialists. By creating a group including the patient, their doctors, nurses, specialists, and caregivers, the chat can be used to discuss matters that do not require in-office consultations. Through the group chat, the patient can seek advice regarding their symptoms, medication, or even update their team of specialists on their overall progress. For a patient who is not mobile, such communication saves both time and money that would otherwise be spent commuting to the doctor’s office. However, with this alternative, high levels of professionalism should be maintained to protect the patient’s privacy.

3. Digital signage

Having digital signage up in your office, or advertising on digital billboards can be extremely effective in bringing in new clients and patients. Utilizing them in the office can help clients and patients to feel like they aren’t waiting as long, can keep them coming back by showing testimonials, and can help to show all the services available in your office. In fact, this is where it all begins! If you don’t have people to treat, then you will have no income. It always amazes me how many excellent healthcare providers don’t have nearly as many patients as they should, simply because they don’t have, or use the correct tools for today’s communication streams. People see things digitally these days, and that isn’t going anywhere in the foreseeable future. Do some research, make the right calls, and you will have all the patients you need and more!

Adapting to digital communication can transform the way in which healthcare providers deliver services to their patients. It is not only convenient and less stressful for patients to be able to use these alternatives, but it is also an efficient way of conducting business from a healthcare provider’s perspective.