OCTOBER 2024LIFE SCIENCES REVIEW9To promote usage, we ask new patients to send us a message during their first appointment. They can see how easy it is right away, and we can help them if they have trouble using it. The patient portal has three main benefits:· Enhanced patient engagement and satisfaction. Patients report feeling more attached to their doctor by being able to communicate with them outside of a scheduled visit.· Improved patient outcomes. Patients can ask questions and get answers without having to wait until their next appointment. This has reduced unnecessary emergency department visits and hospital readmissions. Some patients report that communicating with their doctor through the portal also helps relieve anxiety.· Effective resource management. Communicating via the patient portal has reduced phone call volume at most neurology and neurosurgery practices.Online appointment schedulingNuvance Health launched a new website in April 2021, which featured an exciting find a doctor platform with online appointment scheduling. Existing and new patients can book an appointment directly online with a variety of primary and specialty care clinicians including neurologists and neurosurgeons.Direct book has three main benefits:· Increased access. Online appointment scheduling has increased access to neurologists and neurosurgeons for new patients in particular. Out of total appointments booked online from April 2021 to 2022, 64 percent were new patients. Further, individuals seeking headache and migraine care booked a majority of appointments online.· Convenience. Through direct book, healthcare consumers can schedule an appointment anytime, whether during the day, evening or weekend.· Effective resource management. Like many medical practices, Neuroscience Institute practices manage high call volumes. This can result in longer than desired hold times, frustrated patients and overwhelmed staff. Direct book has improved these operational challenges by reducing call volumes at most neurology and neurosurgery practices.Overall, online appointment scheduling and patient portals can improve how patients communicate with their doctors, and in turn, their overall experience with healthcare services. It would behoove healthcare organizations to not only introduce digital communication solutions but also promote their usage. Online appointment scheduling has increased access to neurologists and neurosurgeons for new patients in particular. Out of total appointments booked online from April 2021 to 2022, 64 percent were new patients
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