An often-asked question about digital healthcare platforms is the impact it has on patients. Such platforms generally only look at things from the operator’s perspective – in terms of reducing turnaround time, streamlining workflow processes, making data entry easier and more. Rarely do such platforms project a patient-centric program.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says that more engaged patients tend to be more aware and tend to make more informed decisions. With a patient-centric approach, healthcare provider’s resources are utilized efficiently.
So how do we make healthcare more engaging for the patient?
The answer to this question boils down to usability. When a patient has to spend less time filling out forms and looking up past medical records, it pushes them towards service providers who offer them more accessible options.
But what about what happens once the patient has left the healthcare facility? Engaging with a patient after that is an even more critical task. Technology has offered multiple resources to connect with the patient, even after they leave the hospital vicinity. From interactive reports, remote monitoring apps to wearable digital products to different social media platforms make it easier to interact with the patients.
These platforms allow the patients to learn more about their diagnosis and encourage them to make informed choices in their lifestyle. Also, it enables medical professionals to track patient health and provide better medical support to them.
Healthcare providers need to incorporate technology to provide the best and efficient services to the patients, fulfilling the healthcare system’s primary goal, i.e., providing end to end care to the patient.
A patient is likely to return to such a healthcare provider where he or she is made to feel comfortable and is provided with engaging information.
Engaging a patient and revenue generation
Patient engagement can directly correlate to revenue growth. While continuous engagement improves patient retention, that isn’t the only way available. With time, healthcare providers can partner with other entities such as diagnostic laboratories, pharmaceutical manufacturers and insurance providers to offer special discounts. Such discounts attract the patient to stay with their current healthcare provider in the future.
As the world grows connected and the ongoing pandemic subsides, the importance of an easy to use the healthcare system becomes more and more pronounced. For the provider and operator, it helps reduce turnaround times and makes it faster to complete processes. For the patient, it helps them understand their health scenario more clearly. ABI Health is leading the technological path to provide efficient healthcare providers platforms, which can support them to reach out to the patients remotely. To know how we can help you increase the digital presence and revenue generation, contact us for more information.
Why Practice Social Distancing?
Amidst this lockdown, many are still asking the question about “Social Distancing”. As per the scientists, finding the cure or medicine for COVID-19 it may take about 12-18 months to find it. Hence. To prevent the spreading of this virus social distancing is the most effective way to do it.
Let's start by explaining what is social distancing, it is a conscious and deliberate choice of maintaining the distance of six feet from the people around us, to prevent the spreading of COVID-19.
To understand better the impact of it, here is a small visual to explain how the virus will spread if social distancing is not paid attention.
Social distancing is so effective right now that as an individual we all are contributing in the prevention of spreading this deadly virus.
There is another major concern that is coming into the picture with the rapid increase in the coronavirus patients. Hospitals around the world do not have enough resources to tackle this pandemic, there are limited numbers of healthcare facility in all the countries around the world.
The coronavirus outbreak in Italy has shown, the faster rate of the population getting infected by it and to tackle with it, there are not enough medical resources like hospital beds, ventilators and doctors. This will be challenging for the healthcare to save lives leading to exponential rise in number of deaths.
Hence, social distancing is the most effective way to "flatten the curve" or reduce the spread of this coronavirus.
What does flattening the curve means?
The researchers have projected a graph to understand the impact of the spreading of coronavirus against the number of hospital beds. Though this is a theoretical graph, it does show how quickly the capacity of healthcare can come crashing down which can make COVID-19 an epidemic, hard to deal with.
This curve indicates, if the same number of people are getting at a slower rate over a longer period of time, then it reduces the pressure on the healthcare system and making it easier to treat everyone, hence, a lesser number of deaths.
Therefore, just by taking small measures individually, like maintaining social distance, washing hands frequently, avoid going out in crowded places, and spend maximum time inside the house. We all can contribute a collective to fight against this deadly coronavirus.