Technology That Improves Patient Experience (And How It Works)

Technological innovations can benefit the healthcare industry in several ways, including decision-making, revolutionising drug development and improving patient experience.

In this article, we focus on patient experience in particular. We’ll explore how technology enhances the patient experience and also provide specific examples along the way. Technology has a key role in enhancing the patient experience for several reasons. Read on to discover how technology is creating better patient experiences in the UK.

How Does Technology Enhance Patient Experience?

Technology has a key role to play in enhancing patient experience. This is due to a number of reasons. Read on to discover some of the ways technology is creating better experiences for patients in the UK.

Improved Appointment Scheduling

Patients want to receive convenient and flexible access to healthcare. However, this hasn’t always been available. For example, in the past, if someone wanted to schedule an appointment, they’d have to arrange it over the phone, set their own reminders and physically travel to the appointment.

For the patient, this isn’t convenient and could potentially lead to a poor experience. But nowadays, forward-thinking healthcare systems can help overcome these challenges. Here’s how:

• Patients can attend appointments virtually using video software 
• Patients can receive reminders and gentle nudges about upcoming appointments 
• Patients can log on to customised portals to book appointments on a date that works for them

More Personalised Experiences 

Today’s consumers have come to expect more personalised experiences and this is a trend that has reached the healthcare industry. The NHS plans to roll out personalised care to reach 2.5 million people by 2023/24 and then aim to double that again within a decade.

Technology is playing an important role in making this happen. This is because the right healthcare system can offer healthcare providers an abundance of data. Using this data, they can paint a picture of each patient’s individual health journey.

Better Entertainment Options 

More hospitals and Trusts are looking to implement patient entertainment systems — and for good reason. Entertainment systems are vital to ensure patients have a positive experience during their time in care.

Time can pass slowly in hospitals and patients can easily start to become frustrated. By providing them with access to the latest movies, games and news. 

These are a few ways technology can enhance the patient experience. Let’s look at some examples of technology available to your Trust.

Which Technologies Improve Patient Experience?

Factors such as COVID-19 have rapidly increased technology adoption in UK healthcare. More innovative solutions are available than ever, many of which can improve the patient experience.

Let’s look at some of the most effective technologies available to help you meet your patient experience goals:

Registration Kiosks

From the moment a patient arrives for their appointment, they should be greeted with an exceptional experience. One way to do this is by providing them with the opportunity to check in for their appointment quickly and conveniently. 

By having registration kiosks powered by technology placed in your reception area, your Trust can reduce long queues and crowding, improve patient waiting times and reduce the burden on your reception staff. This could be in addition to a service patients can check in to from their own device, ensuring that everyone can check in regardless of whether they have a device or not.

Bedside Entertainment Systems

Platforms such as SPARK® Media have made it easier for organisations to give patients access to entertainment and education during their time in care.

This new state-of-the-art technology holds a huge library of content, including TV channels, on-demand movies, newspapers and magazines. On top of this, patients can fill out surveys to provide feedback, get involved with polls and keep up to date with hospital and Trust news.

Patient Portals

An online patient portal is a secure online website that gives patients convenient, 24-hour access to personal health information from any location. These portals can offer many benefits to patients, which in turn improve their experience. 

Online portals allow patients to schedule appointments online, view specific health information and make payments if necessary. These features offer convenience to patients, which is something more and more people are looking for. 

These are a few examples of how certain technological tools can improve patient experience. We’ve highlighted some more in another article which you can read here.

Technology has a crucial role to play in improving patient experience. However, it’s only a piece to a much bigger puzzle. Healthcare providers need to consider other factors such as digital inclusion, improving integrated healthcare planning and also deciding who’s responsible for what. It’s key to bring all of these services together under one platform to ensure they can be updated and maintained efficiently, as well as provide the most benefit and cost savings.

Learn More About the Patient Experience and the Steps You Should Take to Achieve Your Goals

In this guide, we provide an overview of what an exceptional patient experience looks like today and the direction it’s predicted to head in the future. We also highlight the key factors that your Trust needs to consider with actionable tips included along the way. 

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