Technology is improving patient experience inside and outside the hospital
By Rodney D. Reider
As industry leaders look to the future of healthcare, patient experience continues to gain top priority as a critical pathway to optimizing care and improving patient outcomes. Healthcare providers are visibly aware that the culture of their organization ultimately determines the perception of the patient. This “sum of interactions,” as defined by the Beryl Institute, can be shaped and influenced by leadership’s listening and support of their caregivers as well as correctly applied technology. The efficient use of technology provides our caregivers more time with the patient—the reason they entered the healthcare field in the first place.
Companies like Patient Innovations (of which I am an enthusiastic board member), are providing technology that helps healthcare organizations understand patients’ experiences throughout the entire episode of care.
Without the real-time data these technologies provide, any conversations about pinch points in patient flow and improving patient experiences are all theoretical. These technological innovations are using data on wait times, doctor and nurse tracking, patient scheduling, and discharge processing, to name a few, to communicate with patients during their visit, and equip healthcare providers with the information they need to increase the quality of their patients’ experiences. This leads to better health outcomes for the patient, an improved work environment for the employee, and enhanced revenue for the healthcare provider.