Wednesday, July 26, 2023

How effective is your ‘digital front door’? A guide for independent practice owners

A patient’s first contact with a new health care provider used to occur when they passed through the front door of a practice. They would be greeted and checked in by the front desk staff, who were often distressed by a constantly ringing phone. They then found a seat and waited patiently to see their provider. If they wanted to review their medical records or bill, they would have an onerous process ahead of them.

Today, 77% of patient journeys begin online, and most patients can schedule or check in for appointments through a practice’s website or mobile app. This new approach is known as a “digital front door,” and while patients and providers prefer it for its accessibility, convenience and efficiency, providers must focus on maintaining the interpersonal connection alongside the digital experience.


What is a digital front door?


A front door is easy to visualize, but defining a digital front door is a little more challenging.

For one thing, it’s not a single entry point; it’s multiple entry points across several channels, including the practice website, mobile app, social media and even artificial intelligence-based chatbots.

The goal of a digital front door isn’t just to get patients to schedule an appointment online so they can have a visit in person. With telehealth, patients may not even need to go to the office. Instead, the goal is to leverage technology to improve each patient’s experience throughout their journey, giving them access to and control of their health care. That could mean anything from selecting their preferred provider to paying their bills online to reviewing their medical records at their convenience.

In short, the digital front door comprises all the different ways you and your patients interact online.


How does your digital front door impact your patients’ experience?


A digital front door can improve access to health care by removing barriers to entry, such as a demanding work schedule that makes it difficult to schedule an appointment over the phone during office hours. However, it’s not intended to remove the human connection. Your digital front door should enhance the patient experience, not replace your front office staff.

Encourage your team to embrace your digital front door. Ideally, automating the more tedious or repetitive tasks will free your staff to interact with your patients when it matters most. After all, if they aren’t on the phone scheduling appointments, they have more bandwidth to welcome patients, answer questions and improve the in-office experience.

However, it’s important to build a digital front door that’s cohesive, comprehensive and internally consistent. Practices that create their approach over time often wind up with a digital front door scattered across channels and platforms. These multiple systems reduce the efficiency and ease a digital front door is meant to create, such as by requiring that patients fill out the same form multiple times or provide the same information over and over. They’re also a hassle for your front desk staff, who then have to log in to multiple systems and handle frustrated patients.

A complete and fully integrated operating system that allows your staff to manage all aspects of your digital front door will quickly improve the experience for everyone.
How does digital intake impact your staff’s experience?

A complete digital front door system should ease the burden on front office staff, freeing them up to handle higher-priority tasks.


15% Off Medical Practice Supplies


VIEW ALL



Manual Prescription Pad (Large - Yellow)


Manual Prescription Pad (Large - Pink)

Manual Prescription Pads (Bright Orange)

Manual Prescription Pads (Light Pink)

Manual Prescription Pads (Light Yellow)

Manual Prescription Pad (Large - Blue)

Manual Prescription Pad (Large - White)


VIEW ALL

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , ,

Tuesday, July 25, 2023

Analyzing the adverse effects of internet downtime in healthcare

As the healthcare landscape continues to evolve, multi-location facilities and hospital partnerships are becoming more commonplace. With government initiatives and a move towards value-based medicine, it's essential that these organizations work together in order to reduce costs while providing top-quality care for patients.

At the heart of this collaboration is communication – enabled by fast, reliable internet access. In today's healthcare environment, where nearly every aspect relies on digital technology, any disruption or downtime can have serious implications for both staff and patients alike. That’s why ensuring seamless connectivity between all locations is critical for successful outcomes across the board.


1. Reduced efficiency in the patient care setting


Multi-location healthcare providers rely on seamless communication between locations to remain effective and deliver the best patient care possible. Whether it’s consulting with a physician based at another site or transferring medical records and images from one facility to another, having a steady, reliable internet connection is essential for running an efficient workflow. In the case of any outages, physicians may not be able to connect with each other to discuss treatments or diagnoses quickly, which could have detrimental effects on patients' overall health. Moreover, if access is cut off from patient documents, such as their history of illnesses and conditions, dietary restrictions, and test results, doctors could be left without vital information that could further hinder proper treatment plans.

Furthermore, internet downtime can still affect those who are not physically present at the healthcare center itself. What if someone new tries calling up for an appointment? Without being able to speak directly with someone, they might give up, which affects the entire system. The same is true for existing patients trying to schedule follow-up appointments. The difficulties in making appointments when needed could cause patients to skip important visits, leading to sub-optimal patient outcomes and reduced revenue for the hospital.


2. Compromising PHI and HIPAA compliance


While internet downtime and unusable uptime are harmful to the quality of patient care, they can also compromise the security and privacy of protected health information, undermining HIPAA compliance. Without a reliable internet connection, healthcare providers may resort to manual processes or unsecured networks, increasing the risk of unauthorized access and data breaches. Relying on these backup options increases the risk of unauthorized access or physical loss of patient records.


3. The financial impact


Internet downtime in healthcare facilities can have a significant financial impact. The cost of HIPAA breaches can be substantial, with penalties ranging from $100 to $50,000 per violation, depending on the severity. Additionally, considering the estimated cost of downtime at $5,600 per minute, even a brief internet outage can result in substantial financial losses due to disrupted operations, delayed patient care, and potential data breaches. The cumulative effect of these costs can be detrimental to the financial stability of healthcare organizations, underscoring the importance of investing in reliable internet infrastructure and robust contingency plans.


4. The dangers of not being able to access medical records


Patient care relies on up-to-date records, so having reliable access to electronic health/medical records is essential. Providers need to be able to easily update information in real time. That way, if another doctor needs access to that information later, they can easily access it in the medical record.

If they can’t do this, doctors may not have all the information they need to make accurate decisions about patient care. Furthermore, appointment times become longer, and doctors may start to write notes offline, and important information may fall through the cracks because these notes are not always uploaded to the electronic system later.


5. Telehealth and virtual care are becoming more common


Telehealth and virtual care services have increased since 2020. As these offerings are in popular demand, it is imperative clinics and hospitals have connectivity that is capable of supporting those calls.

When the internet at a medical office or clinic falters, these vital video calls are derailed, leaving patients frustrated with backed-up appointments. Patients might not get the care they need, their confidence in the medical system might suffer, and medical centers may have a difficult time booking future appointments.


6. Patients and providers need to communicate


Having a way for providers and patients to communicate quickly is paramount when providing quality treatment recommendations or following up on test results. Any delay in communication could lead to overlooked information and missed treatment windows.

In addition, other work activities like billing, data management, and connecting with pharmacies also rely heavily on consistent uptime, making reliability key across the board.


Overcome network connectivity issues with appropriate help and planning


There are plenty of reasons why network connectivity is so important, and poor network connectivity can have an adverse impact on patient care. All hospital systems and medical organizations need to have complete transparency and visibility regarding their internet connections, and that means being proactive by reaching out to professionals who can lend a helping hand.


15% Off Medical Practice Supplies


VIEW ALL



Manual Prescription Pad (Large - Yellow)


Manual Prescription Pad (Large - Pink)

Manual Prescription Pads (Bright Orange)

Manual Prescription Pads (Light Pink)

Manual Prescription Pads (Light Yellow)

Manual Prescription Pad (Large - Blue)

Manual Prescription Pad (Large - White)


VIEW ALL

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: ,

Monday, July 24, 2023

Weight loss medications and the need to prioritize patient safety

It's not uncommon for patients to request a prescription for a weight management drug from their provider when they’re looking to shed a few pounds. Recently, demand for medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, or Mounjaro, including their off-label use, has skyrocketed in the wake of enthusiastic celebrity endorsements. Yet notably absent in social media posts from the likes of Khloe Kardashian and Elon Musk, or in pop-culture discussions on the news, is the essential step to ensuring these drugs are prescribed and used safely: diagnostic screening.

It’s quick and simple to evaluate a patient’s medical and family history to determine eligibility but, as responsible providers, more must be done. Medical testing for contraindicated conditions or risks to assess safety and appropriateness is not yet a prerequisite when prescribing medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, or Mounjaro, so we must close that gap. A failure to test to determine whether or not a patient should be prescribed or continue to use medications like these can mean we fail to spot significant health risks, which can result in serious consequences for individuals who aren’t being evaluated thoroughly enough.

Before starting weight management medications, diagnostic lab testing establishes a baseline understanding of patient health for comparison throughout a treatment plan. According to the CDC, over 70% of today’s medical decisions are dependent on laboratory testing. In diabetes management, which is what these medications often address, testing throughout treatment is important for monitoring blood sugar levels and confirming that medication is working effectively. Monitoring throughout treatment also enables providers to adjust treatment plans as needed and prevent serious complications that can arise from unchecked conditions or unexpected medication interactions.

While a patient is undergoing treatment for weight management, it’s important to regularly conduct lab testing to ensure the healthy function of all organs that could potentially be affected by these medications. For example, the kidneys and liver play critical roles in metabolizing and excreting medications. Certain compounds commonly used in drugs can cause liver damage or kidney dysfunction, stemming from diabetic retinopathy complications, hypoglycemia, or acute kidney injuries. Running kidney and liver health panels (eGFR, UACR, protein, albumin, bilirubin, and liver enzymes) allows providers to track patient data over time and adjust treatment as needed.

The pancreas, gallbladder, and heart may also be affected by certain medications. For example, taking Ozempic may cause some patients to experience heart palpitations and debilitating gastrointestinal side effects. If patients have stomach pain, fever, or jaundice, they should immediately let their provider know, as these symptoms can be a sign of pancreatitis or gallbladder problems, among other issues. Failing to conduct follow-up diabetes and heart health panels (HbA1c, Glucose, total cholesterol, etc.) to monitor changes over time could negatively impact patient health. Regular testing is essential for providers to oversee patient health and confirm panel levels are well-controlled.

As trusted partners in patient care, providers must incorporate testing processes to ensure safety. Lab testing is key to understanding a patient’s health profile, which has implications for their ability to manage certain medications and verifies that the outcomes of therapeutic regimens are what provider and patient expect.

We are living in a time when patients are being proactive about their health. As clinicians, our job is to guide them in their journey, follow evidence-based treatment plans and adhere to best-practice standards—including encouraging patient testing before and while taking medications.


15% Off Medical Practice Supplies


VIEW ALL



Manual Prescription Pad (Large - Yellow)


Manual Prescription Pad (Large - Pink)

Manual Prescription Pads (Bright Orange)

Manual Prescription Pads (Light Pink)

Manual Prescription Pads (Light Yellow)

Manual Prescription Pad (Large - Blue)

Manual Prescription Pad (Large - White)


VIEW ALL

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)