Today’s patients are looking for convenience in every aspect of their life, healthcare included. They don’t want to waste time on unnecessary phone calls if they can avoid it. Instead, they try to accomplish as many tasks as possible with the use of the internet. This is where live chat comes into play. While not without limitations, much can be accomplished this way. Your patients want convenience and you want satisfied patients; read on to learn more about how to achieve those goals using live chat.
Why do patients want live chat?
Today’s patients are consumers, through and through. They view healthcare in much the same way they view every other service they need in their lives. The more convenient, the better, and when something isn’t convenient to them, it’s time to move on and look for a suitable replacement. As such, patients want more convenient access to their providers. According to a study of 2,000 NHS patients conducted by Healthcare Communications, 68% of patients want to manage their appointments online or via a smartphone, and 72% of patients want to get digital updates about last-minute availability. This proves that patients want to digitally engage with their providers, and live chat is a fantastic tool to use for this purpose.
Why do practices need live chat?
There are myriad reasons practices need live chat, the first of which being that it meets the needs of customers. Again, it can’t be overstated, today’s patients want to conveniently communicate with their providers. They know this technology exists and they want to use it. Employing live chat will meet your patients’ need for convenience, keeping them satisfied and loyal to your practice.
Another reason you need live chat is to convert website visitors into patients. Prospective patients will visit the websites of providers in their area when deciding where to schedule an appointment. When they find they’re able to have their questions answered and even schedule right there from the website, the odds that they will indeed schedule and become a patient are very good.
Cost savings is another reason that live chat is beneficial for your practice. Live chat is much more efficient than answering phone calls. This saves staff time and can also save on overhead for your practice by enabling your staff to complete more tasks in a more efficient manner.
Finally, adopting live chat is simple, and it’s incredibly easy to use, making the choice to employ this technology a no-brainer. Setting up live chat on an existing website is quick and easy, and once it’s up you’ll begin to see the benefits right away as patients, and potential patients, discover this tool. This may be among the easiest changes you can make to your practice right now to usher it into the future of healthcare.
Yes, today’s patients want a more convenient and connected experience in all aspects of their life, healthcare included. This is why MicroMD has partnered with a number of vendors who are poised to help you meet your patients’ needs. One such vendor is Demandforce, an all-in-one marketing solution for your practice, giving you the communication tools you need to attract and retain patients, manage and build your online reputation, and save time. With Demandforce, you’ll get improved appointment density from online scheduling, increased online presence with patient reviews, and automated appointment reminders, surveys, newsletters and more to streamline your front office workload and build stronger relationships with your patients.
We also offer AutoRemind, a suite of patient engagement and electronic communication tools to grow your practice and make it more efficient. AutoRemind offers fully automated reminders for upcoming appointments, patient balances, and satisfaction surveys, along with marketing and online reputation management, and communication to help you stay top-of-mind and engaged with your patients, using tools ranging from newsletters to two-way texting.
Finally, MicroMD has partnered with Yosi Health to offer safe, contactless, virtual waiting rooms. By allowing patients to schedule, complete their paperwork at home, and make payments, Yosi Health creates safe waiting rooms for both your patients and staff.
For more information on MicroMD’s partners or to get started, visit our website at micromd.com or call 1-800-624-8832
About the author,
Crystal Stanton
Crystal is a freelance copywriter with nearly five years experience creating innovative, informative content for clients across a variety of industries. With a background in education and a passion for learning, Crystal is dedicated to expressing the unique voice of each company she works with while clearly communicating their message to their target audience. She can be found at her home on the web, cstantonwriting.weebly.com.
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