Focusing on the patient experience while making it easier to navigate the system is a win-win for care providers.
Like in St. Louis, many communities with low income populations lack access to clinicians–primary care physicians, surgeons, and specialists. They may lack trust in healthcare providers in general. Many only seek care in their local hospital emergency department when they’re sick and often end up hospitalized due to the lack of intervention.
Changing this paradigm starts when care providers begin considering patients as consumers, and providing personalized experiences that connect with patients at the ground level. This means reaching out where they live and work, equipping them with tools and resources (like transportation) to address their health care issues. It’s about building a personal relationship with a focus on their individual needs.
"Our most effective providers are all about asking their patients how they are and what they need–not waiting for patients to come through the system seeking care" says Stephen Newman, Owner of 360 Quality Car + Transport Services.
Fostering and then keeping patients within the healthcare system requires that the care be easy and stress-free across the entire continuum. This means the best resources. Partnerships like those found in transport providers with the knowledge and capacity to work with those in the system who are most vulnerable. 360 Quality Care + Transport Services specializes in these cases, making sure the patient makes it to their appointment, reducing the likelihood of hospitalization.
Once a priority patient is identified, simplifying the intake process to be more automated saves time for both patient and clinician so they can spend that first visit together building a strong relationship. Establishing transportation needs is no different and best considered a vital part of the intake process. This is important to saving significant time and frustration traveling to a healthcare facility and sitting in a waiting room.
Having the patient at their appointment on-time and without stress can be achieved within the consumer driven systems of tomorrow. When the intake process includes the benefit of a Priority Transport Provider, the costs are mitigated over time due to the reduction of unnecessary cancellations.
Comments