Optimizing patient flow should be the key strategy of your practice because it keeps patients satisfied when they are moving through your healthcare facility. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic hospitals and clinics have lost a lot of revenue which has had a negative impact on their financial health. Patients were scared and fearful to see their healthcare provider in person due to the contagious nature of the virus. The pandemic has contributed to over $200 billion in losses for hospitals, according to the American Hospital Association. Increasing patient flow might seem difficult during these trying times, however, there are certain strategies that can be implemented to enhance efficiency levels to optimize patient flow.
Why is Patient Flow Critical?
Patient flow is very important for the patient’s health, safety, and satisfaction. When the patient flow is optimized hospitals can avoid over-crowded spaces and lags in care delivery. Efficient patient workflows contribute to reduced wait times, a boost in productivity, and improved patient care which is the ultimate goal of any medical practice.
4 Strategies to Deploy for Seamless Patient Flow
Utilize Data to Comprehend Demand Trends
It is vital for your practice to use gather and analyze data about patient inflow to help your staff members better understand staffing and scheduling requirements. When you have the data in hand staffing and scheduling needs can be met efficiently. A Practice Management (PM) Software solution can be leveraged by providing integrated data tracking and reports to help your team members plan ahead for optimized workflows.
Keep a Track of Patient Appointment Scheduling, Patient No-Shows and Cancellations
Appointment cancellations and patient no-shows is a big issue for hospitals as they can lead to a surplus in clinician and staff and also reduce revenue. If cancellations are a consistent issue then your practice can use the data to make informed decisions such as schedule fewer providers and double-book appointments. Using data tracking tools can be helpful to track as to many appointments are canceled.
Enhance Patient Engagement
Patient flow can be improved by enhancing patient engagement levels. Adapting the right patient engagement tools can help keep patients informed and have a satisfying healthcare experience. Automatic alerts and text messages or email reminders in your Patient Scheduling EMR Software system can combat the issue of canceled or missed appointments. The patient portal platform can be utilized to allows patients to fill online intake forms prior to their appointment which can reduce patient wait times and enhance overall patient satisfaction scores.
Embrace Technology
Digital tools and healthcare technology can be embraced to automated manual tasks to enhance workflow efficiency and productivity. Bottlenecks can be eliminated if clinics and hospitals automate the check-in and check-out procedures. By improving the speed of non-clinical staff members, non-clinical services for patients can be improved.
Positive Outcomes
When patient flows in your hospital are optimized the waiting room experience is improved as there is less overcrowding and stress in patients and staff members. Overall infrastructure costs can go down and patient frustrations can be kept at bay as they are satisfied throughout their patient journey. Handling patient flow is a continuous process requiring communication across all hospital departments so they can accomplish goals by taking the necessary steps.
