How does Technology Affect Patient Care?

Technological advances have made effective patient communication possible, especially due to an upsurge in smartphone ownership. As Pew Research Center estimates, over 77% of the world’s population owns a smartphone.

With this in mind, there are several ways that healthcare technology can be optimized to better patient care.

Technology’s influence on healthcare

Patient records are now stored electronically, making it easier to access patient information. Just submit a request for your records, and your healthcare provider will retrieve them after verifying that you are legally allowed to access to the information.

Technology has also broken down the geographical restrictions that previously kept patients from receiving the specialized care they needed. Physicians can now engage with a patient online, and, if necessary, the patient can follow up with a visit to their clinic.

Technology has also made storage and access to information easier to reference. For example, healthcare providers can hold functions, such as special guest talks, for their patients. They can invite guest doctors to engage with patients, and those absent can still get the content stored for them online.

The latest technology empowers patients to approach their treatment programs differently. Experiences with doctors, clinics, and medication can be posted online through reviews and testimonials. This information can help other patients make informed decisions about what doctors and clinics they wish to visit.

Lastly, technology has also made user-friendly healthcare services for patients easier, more convenient, and more accessible. Technologies such as Telehealth make it possible to receive medical attention from a smart device instead of waiting for a face-to-face appointment. Physicians can now access a patient’s information instantly to help them make decisions and ease the treatment process for a seamless and user-friendly healthcare experience.

The downside of technology

Patient privacy is now more challenging to safeguard, as cyber-criminals continue to target patient records stored in online databases.

The Internet has also made it easy to find medical information, although some of it is not necessarily credible. It is common for patients to incorrectly diagnose themselves, and opt for self-treatment with over-the-counter medication instead of visiting a physician.

Sometimes, this does not end well, as the medication may only mask the symptoms. By the time the patient visits their doctor, it may be too late.

Free, effective healthcare marketing methods

Patient newsletters

Electronic newsletters provide an effective way to reach many patients at once. This option informs patients about the clinic with the underlying goal of driving sales, acquiring new customers, nurturing the existing patients, and increasing patient engagement at your clinic.

To get the most out of your newsletter, you will need to learn the basics of building a newsletter for patients. A well-designed newsletter helps keep your patients and other subscribers up to date with all the latest developments, including planned events, promotions, free clinics, or health reports. It provides an excellent way to reach, engage, and widen your customer base.

Website

A website is an excellent asset for successful healthcare marketing. It is your online face, and as such, it has a significant effect on patients’ decision of whether or not to visit your clinic.

Taking the latter into account, you should ensure that you employ great website design for optimal engagement. Random tech users searching for specific content will most likely land on your website, and hopefully, visit your clinic if they find your content helpful.

To keep users on your site, ensure you have great content and that you maintain a user-friendly web design.

Social media

Most people who have access to the internet also have a social media account or two. As a healthcare provider, creating an online presence through social media and posting relevant and engaging content is great for attracting patients.

Always ensure that your social media accounts are interlinked with your website to increase traffic to your site. If you do it right, you will start turning your followers into regular patients.

Bottom line

Technology brings the power of information at the click of a button. It also makes it easier to look up locations of preferred hospitals, making it essential for healthcare providers to up their digital presence. Physicians can also look up a patient’s information and history to help in decision-making. With the reach that technology has in today’s world, every physician should embrace it.

If you want to create a digital presence for your clinic, talk to the digital experts at iProv. We have a team of specialists who are ready to guide you on how to optimize patient care using technology. Call us at 501-235-8194, or contact us by submitting this form.