The healthcare industry is becoming increasingly competitive for all facilities — including doctors’ offices and clinics, hospitals, home health services, and more. To succeed, healthcare providers should adopt a page from other industries and put the patient experience at the center of their operations. Investing in a healthcare-focused customer relationship management (CRM) system is the perfect starting point.
Here are some examples of how a healthcare CRM improves the overall patient experience.
Connecting systems
Through powerful integrations, such as with EHR/EMR systems, a CRM brings together data from multiple platforms and operations, creating a holistic view of the patient’s journey. Patients won’t have to repeat the same information to different departments and individuals — the CRM contains everything from payment records to treatments to communications. It can even link with marketing campaigns and help manage events in residential care homes. This connected approach to healthcare simplifies the user experience for all parties, including patients.
Streamlining and automating processes
A CRM allows staff to spend less time on administrative tasks like collecting data, processing payments and paperwork, and sending emails, so they can spend more quality time with patients. For example, in post-acute care facilities, CRM enables staff to respond quickly to inquiries, speed up the intake and admissions processes, and schedule appointments more efficiently. This ensures that current and future patients aren’t waiting around to take the next steps.
Capturing and following up on referrals
Another benefit to a healthcare CRM is the ability to manage and grow a referral network. A CRM can give providers insights into who’s sending the most and least referrals, opportunities to recognize and reward referrers, and tools that find and collect data from new referral sources. This makes it easier for sources to refer patients to the right providers to match their needs, eliminating delays, reducing frustration, and making sure patients get the care they need.
Improving engagement
A healthcare CRM that’s integrated with a marketing automation platform provides an easy way to send automated messages to patients and their families, such as reminders about upcoming appointments and activities, educational content, and instructions for completing documents. It also automates the process of gathering feedback, allowing patients to instantly share their opinions and suggest improvements. This not only gives patients more opportunities to communicate with staff, but also provides them an additional avenue to take an active role in their care and overall experience.
Building relationships
Having patient data at their fingertips allows call centers, providers, and others involved with patient care to personalize their communications and create more meaningful interactions. So patients are more likely to feel valued.
This level of personalization is especially important in long-term care facilities such as nursing homes, where it’s critical for residents to develop trusting relationships with their caregivers. With staff well-equipped to address concerns and customize the patient experience, patients can be confident that they’re in good hands.
Reducing readmission rates
Discharge shouldn’t be the last time a patient hears from their healthcare providers. Focusing on communication during this critical time has the most significant impact on reducing readmissions. A CRM can help providers send timely follow-up communications, manage outpatient appointments, and identify patients at the greatest risk of readmission.
For more information on how CRM software benefits the many aspects of healthcare, check out our resource page.
