Checking In: Improving the Patient Experience

Phone apps today prompt customers to check in for flights or confirm restaurant reservations. Self-checkout touchscreens make exiting the grocery store easier than ever. And now appointment confirmations regularly arrive via text from everyone from your vet to your workout studio. Businesses of all kinds are focused on adding convenience to elevate the customer experience. 

Arizona has a booming healthcare industry across a wide range of businesses which is helping the state’s economy grow. Some major players including The Mayo Clinic, the Barrow Neurological Institute, and the Banner M.D. Anderson Cancer Center all have campuses in the state, as well as a tremendous healthcare focus in the state’s public universities. In fact, according to the Arizona Commerce Authority as cited by Cronkite News, the three public universities have helped produce 67 bioscience startups and 180 bioscience patents from 2002 to 2011.

Nationwide, healthcare continues to be one of the most profitable and growing industries. According to a 2015 employment projection analysis conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “healthcare occupations and industries are expected to have the fastest employment growth and to add the most jobs between 2014 and 2024.” 

Of course, technology and comfort-driven amenities are enhancing the experience in medical and dental offices, too. Waiting room décor used to be an exotic aquarium – now it’s an interactive tablet. 

Here are a few examples of app-driven amenities and more:

• Electronic check-in systems allow children to check themselves in with a visual, easy-to-use touchscreen at the orthodontist’s office. 
• Medical practices of all kinds are inviting waiting patients to use iPads to learn about their health, make appointments or even play games.
• An app helps patients handle paperwork in a different language, reducing the impact on the front desk and making the experience much more welcoming.  
• After they’re done checking in, patients can even enjoy large screens with cable programming, free Wi-Fi, breakfast bars or other healthy snacks, complimentary bottled water, truly comfortable, ample seating and more. 

Overall, an inviting, tech-forward waiting room can reduce stress for patients before their appointments, makes gathering patient information easier, provides diversions while they’re waiting to be called – and increases the chance they will want to visit your facility again.

Technology also promotes patient education and can spark conversations between patients and their medical practitioners. Screens in exam rooms serve as a way to keep your patients engaged while they wait, but can also be a resource for information about diseases, treatments and questions to ask their doctor.  New apps are designed to engage patients with easier information-gathering, and reduce the need to re-key medical data into your office’s electronic files.

Consider a guidance line of credit

Your practice might already be using equipment financing and equipment leasing options to supply your facility with state-of-the-art medical equipment, but covering the costs of other upgrades could come from a different source – a guidance line of credit. 

A guidance line of credit is similar to a typical line of credit in that your healthcare organization can spend in increments as needed, but instead of completing repayment within 12 months, the amount can be rolled into a loan that is amortized over three to five  years – generally a good option for financing equipment or technology upgrades.

Working with a guidance line of credit can give your medical practice added financial flexibility, allowing you to spend only what you need. You’ll be able to upgrade your patients’ customer experience, as well as make other improvements to keep your practice modern and healthy.  

You know that patient care starts before your patients even walk through your doors, and first impressions really do matter. Make sure you speak with an expert banker who works with healthcare practices to identify the best financing options for you as your office takes the patient experience to the next level.

Contact Alliance Bank of Arizona to learn more.