One purpose of telemedicine is to help patients and physicians , as well as other healthcare providers communicate by using telecommunication technologies. Its primary benefit is to provide patients access to preventive treatment and help them manage their long-term health. This is particularly true for patients who are living in remote and isolated places as well as those with financial or physical constraints. Telemedicine is readily available and the safest and most effective way to receive healthcare during the public health emergency.
Now as we transition to back-to-office, telemedicine has naturally evolved to be the preferred service by consumers who still want a convenient, safe, and cost-effective delivery of care. Physicians may also look into this innovative healthcare service as they deal with a problem that they have been dealing with during pre-pandemic but now more so in post-pandemic times.
Patient attrition has been a challenge for many practices before COVID and with the consumer-based trends in healthcare, it may become even more difficult.
What contributes to patient attrition?
Patient attrition is the difference between the active cases of physicians and the number of patient appointments since the practice opened. This number could be significant with the US average said to be around 17%. This front-door-back door problem will become even more pronounced as more consumers shift to other providers that can provide them with virtual care services.
Often times patients switch when they are dissatisfied with the care they are receiving. This is supported by a John Hopkins study that found on average 23% of patients see more than two primary care physicians every two years. Nowadays, patients have become quite particular and demanding with the care they are receiving. Providers need to pay attention to these demands to remain competitive.
Here are some of the more common reasons why patients choose the back door:
1. Long Waiting Time
Patients have to endure a whole lot of waiting for their appointments and more waiting at the doctor’s office. The typical waiting period can be more than two weeks for an appointment. In this day and age where everything is instant, all this waiting can be too much.
2. Lack of Flexibility in Working Hours
Typical hours may not accommodate all patients so some look for providers who can offer them the flexibility they seek even if it is just a single day in the week when doctors can close later than usual. When patients feel their doctors are invested in their care and would ensure they keep their appointments, the doctor-patient relationship could yield positive results.
3. Scheduling Issues
Scheduling inefficiency is often the root cause of unnecessary long waiting times. Some doctors may be taking on more patients than they could possibly afford to see to account for no shows during the day. Though a full office may speak well of the doctor’s reputation, some patients may look for more than experience and credibility.
4. Disrespect for Patient’s Time
Oftentimes, patients feel neglected when they have to wait a long time to see their doctor. Others see this as a lack of consideration for their time. After such a wait, they may also feel that the visit is rushed, which is understandable given the long queue of patients outside. However unintentional this may be on the doctor’s part, some patients may find it unacceptable.
5. Poor Customer Service
It is a given that most patients spend more time with the staff than with their doctors. Naturally, they expect a level of professionalism, warmth, and cordiality extended to them. When this does not happen as expected, though unintentional, patients often feel disappointed and tend to complain about issues that are not at all connected to the clinical care they may receive. Moreover, the entire patient experience does not necessarily start with the provider and therefore, an unfriendly staff could easily be the cause for a patient to seek care elsewhere.
6. No Retail Experience
With the popularity and convenience of online buying, the retail market is full of consumers who expect no less than exceptional service and assistance from their vendors. This applies equally to healthcare as more consumers compare this to a retail experience that offers them quality service without the slightest inconvenience.
Now that more EHRs are integrated with interoperability, it has become easier for dissatisfied patients to find other front doors to open. Every patient who leaves for another provider is revenue lost for your practice. Hence, you need to be innovative to stop patient attrition and you can do this through telemedicine.
So how does telemedicine help a practice stop patient attrition?
While there may be some uncontrolled factors that contribute to patient attrition such as patients who are only interested in annual checkups or only see a doctor when they are sick, others may need more frequent care. Additionally, patients could have moved or may have a need for more specialized care. All these also affect the patient attrition rate.
However, telemedicine has the ability to address these factors including the more common reasons. Patients can still engage with their doctors albeit remotely.
Telemedicine Improves Patient Retention
1. No More Waiting
Telemedicine delivers care to patients in the comfort of their homes or chosen location. Patients do not need to fall in line and wait so patient satisfaction instantly gets off to a good start. There is less traveling to the doctor’s office, which could be stressful or even costly for some. In just a few clicks, patients can connect with their doctors at any time and place.
2. Improved Access To Care
The use of technology in healthcare has advanced incredibly in the past decade, though its adoption was relatively slow compared with other industries. Nonetheless, the right technology can radically improve access and delivery of care. With telemedicine, patients can easily receive care on demand and even use the same medium to follow up on appointments, which is tedious if done the old-school way. Nowadays, there are virtual care platforms that allow, for instance, rural populations to receive specialty care with a simple video consult.
3. More Convenient
Telemedicine Telemedicine compared to the traditional modes of getting a consult has received positive feedback with 90% of patients preferring a virtual consult as reported in a study by the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association. The prevailing reasons are convenience, affordability, and availability.
4. Reduced Costs
Telemedicine improves provider-patient communication, which results in easy and early diagnosis or prevention. It is able to immediately respond to any emergency thereby reducing hospitalizations, in-patient admissions, and costs. With better connectivity, adherence to care plans and medications also has improved. To combat the rising healthcare costs, Medicare has incentivized telemedicine and other associated services like Chronic Care Management (CCM) and Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM), two virtual care services discussed in length in previous blogs.
5. More Capabilities
Furthermore, physicians are experiencing improved doctor-to-doctor communication, which can be used to build support networks to enhance skills and provide better services to patients. Though not lacking in criticisms and various hurdles, telemedicine has found its niche in the healthcare system. It is a good supplement to face-to-face visits and a much-needed alternative to provide care for the high-risk, high-cost population needing frequent and close monitoring. Done well, telemedicine can enhance patient experience and impact health outcomes in positive ways.
How telemedicine can impact your bottom line?
With marked improvements in patient experience and efficiency in workflow processes, telemedicine does not only deliver quality care but establishes a new revenue stream for your practice. CMS continues to offer incentives for non-face-to-face services because it acknowledges the value of telemedicine. The ROI may take some time to build depending on the number of patient visits involved with telemedicine, but there will be marked increases in the long run.
Stopping patient attrition now could translate to huge financial benefits for your practice through the use of telemedicine. Ascent Care Partners (ACP) offers doctors the “Premium Care Program” to provide the virtual care patients need or demand.
ACP‘s turnkey solutions like Chronic Care Management and Remote Patient Monitoring are designed specifically to provide virtual care in easy and simple steps with no upfront costs or risks on a practice’s part.
