Integrating online appointment scheduling platforms with EMR (Electronic Medical Record) systems can significantly improve administrative efficiency for healthcare providers. With these platforms, patients can book, rebook, or cancel an appointment online, which saves time for both doctors and patients. Additionally, online appointment scheduling can reduce no-shows, which can be costly for clinics and hospitals. We will discuss more of these benefits later in this blog.
The increasing number of healthcare practices worldwide, including hospitals, clinics, and therapy groups, adopting online appointment booking systems highlights the growing demand for such resources.
Manual systems though effective in times past, telehealth systems have proven to be more effective. Manual systems can present difficulties such as inputting incorrect information or losing paper files in the office. Time is also wasted on manual tasks like taking down patient details, scheduling appointments, and making reminder calls. Implementing the right system can free up this time for more critical tasks.
Why Should Your Clinic Consider Implementing Online Appointment Scheduling Systems?
According to recent research by Zippia, 67% of patients prefer online booking. 40% of appointments are made after business hours. Additionally, 26% of online appointments are for same-day or next-day bookings, and 54% of online bookings made during working hours are made on mobile devices. Only 33% of patients prefer booking appointments by phone. These statistics provide evidence of the healthcare industry’s shift towards reducing the burden on healthcare providers to manage and schedule appointments via phone or other methods.
As demonstrated by the aforementioned facts, online appointment scheduling has a proven track record of benefits for multiple stakeholders in the clinical setting. Many healthcare processes have become more efficient as a result of online scheduling systems. This is because appointment requests can easily be handled online, without the challenges associated with manual appointment scheduling.
Doctors and healthcare providers can choose what system works best for them based on their practice and type of procedures they offer. Many of these systems provide patients with the autonomy to select appointment types and times while still allowing clinic owners and staff to control the available time slots. By reducing the time manually spent on booking appointments, clinics and their staff can utilize remaining time on other important tasks.
How Porton health supports you.
We know that appointment scheduling isn’t a new concept to hospitals and healthcare providers. However, we at Porton can support your work by introducing your to our software system which is tried and tested in the field of healthcare.
The Porton Suite of Apps is a telehealth solution that offers a range of features to help healthcare providers streamline their administrative processes and improve patient care. One of the key features of the Porton Suite is the ability to collect patient information directly into the clinic’s EMR system via an easy-to-use online form. This saves time and reduces the risk of errors associated with manual data entry.
The Porton Suite also supports hospitals and healthcare providers to launch an online booking service that connects patients to their doctor’s schedule, making it easy for patients to book in-clinic or virtual appointments. This feature can help to improve patient access to care and reduce wait times for appointments.
Furthermore, the Porton Suite’s reminder function helps to eliminate no-shows by sending customized emails and SMS reminders to patients. This can save clinics and hospitals money and reduce the workload on administrative staff. Patients can also check themselves in online, which can further reduce the burden on staff and help to ensure a seamless patient experience.
Finally, doctors can use the Porton Suite to send secure messages and documents to patients directly through their EMR, facilitating clear and efficient communication between healthcare providers and patients. Overall, the Porton Suite of Apps offers a range of features that can help healthcare providers to improve efficiency, reduce administrative burden, and enhance patient care.
If you are interested in learning more about how the Porton Suite of Apps can benefit your clinic or hospital, you can visit our website at https://www.portonhealth.com. Here, you can book a free demo to see how our telehealth solutions can help to streamline your administrative processes and improve patient care.
Alternatively, you can email us at connect@portonhealth.com to learn more about our products and services. We would be happy to answer any questions you may have and provide you with more information about how our telehealth solutions can benefit your healthcare practice.
References:
Zippia. “23 Appointment Scheduling Statistics [2023]: Online Booking Trends” Zippia.com. Nov. 7, 2022, https://www.zippia.com/advice/appointment-scheduling-statistics/
https://ehealthce.ca/userContent/documents/Research%20and%20Evaluation/OAB/OAB%20Admin%20Cost%20Avoided%20Case%20Study.pdf
https://www.continuouscare.io/blog/benefits-of-online/