The health sector is undergoing a profound change as a result of the pandemic. Although governments are providing financial assistance, there remain considerable challenges that can only be addressed internally. For example, clinics need to develop systems that can help them navigate the new normal. Many are afraid to even go to medical facilities as they might catch infections. Addressing valid concerns should be a priority. Using a doctors appointment system for physical facilities and telemedicine is a good step forward as this will give the following benefits:
Reduce Wait Times
Patients will no longer have to crowd the waiting room for hours just to make sure that they get their turn. They don’t have to arrive extremely early to secure a slot in the doctor’s schedule. By implementing the online system, patients can log in to the site and pick their preferred slots. They can book this schedule and come to the clinic on the appointed date. There is no need to come too early because the time slot is already blocked off for them. This reduces wasted time and lower are everyone’s stress levels. The waiting room will be less crowded so social distancing is easier to implement.
Review Patient Histories
With the doctors appointment system, the staff will be able to review the histories of the upcoming patients. This allows them to keep track of cases and get ready for special needs in advance. This results in greater convenience for the patients and faster processing once they get to the clinic. Patients will not have to rehash what happened before because everything is on record and easily verified. The documents can be sent to the doctor the first thing in the morning for browsing to get mentally ready as well.
Increase Satisfaction
The better management of patient schedules will result in greater satisfaction and increased loyalty. People will prefer the clinic over others knowing that they will not be wasting time with every visit. Their needs will be attended to right away. They can come on the dot and see the doctor as scheduled. The staff will already be briefed about the situation so they know that they are in good hands.
Improve Efficiency
All these will help the clinic improve its efficiency in serving patients. If properly managed, they may be able to double the number of patients that they can attend to in a day. This should help the community while helping the clinic become more sustainable as a business.