In the past year, the healthcare field has seen a vast number of changes. Whether it’s been new technology, a global pandemic, or changes in procedure, it is important to constantly adjust to better serve your patient’s needs. The patient experience is one of the most important aspects in healthcare and adaptability plays a huge part. When considering what to prioritize within your practice to optimize your patient experience, consider these increasingly popular solutions below.

1. Telemedicine

With less of life’s daily activities occurring in person, it is important to have strong options and resources for telemedicine so patients can feel connected and better understand how to manage their health. One of the main benefits to telemedicine is accessibility. The ability to speak to a healthcare professional through the phone or over video chat provides a safe and convenient alternative to traditional check-ups and hospital visits. It is also a tool that can be utilized for mental health purposes, such as therapy appointments.

2. Home and Mail-in Testing

Home testing allows patients to provide samples from the comfort of their own home to ship off to a lab for a more private testing option. This is becoming a popular option for people who are too busy to squeeze in an in-person appointment or for those who value their privacy and would feel uncomfortable going in for certain tests. While this won’t work for every diagnosis, it is great for testing certain STIs, thyroid functions, allergies and food sensitivities, among other things. Offering a home testing option with the ability to have prescriptions delivered gives your patient the autonomy to decide what works best for their unique situation.

3. Cost Transparency

Patients don’t want to be left in the dark when it comes the care they are receiving and the cost of each procedure, prescription or appointment. While value-based healthcare isn’t a new concept, it is becoming a more widely adopted way to enable doctors to provide high-quality care for a lower price point, causing readmission rates to drop. According to Definitive Healthcare data, “the estimated revenue loss due to readmission penalties has been about $500-600 million per year from 2016 to the present.” With a focus on appointment visit quality over quantity, both healthcare providers and their patients will benefit.

To keep up with these improvements in the healthcare field, go digital with an Ambir Scanner. Increasing efficiency in your workflow with an EMR compatible scanner will allow you to better manage daily paperwork, giving you more time to focus on patient’s needs. Browse our line of HIPAA compliant scanners and digitize your patient information today.