September is National Cholesterol Education Month, which is a great time to help patients take charge of their heart health. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), more than 102 million American adults (20 years or older) have elevated cholesterol levels of 200 mg/dL, which is above healthy levels. Worse, more than 35 million of these adults have levels of 240 mg/dL or higher – putting them at risk for heart disease.…
Effective patient communication is essential for delivering quality care and increasing patient engagement. Fifty-one percent of patients say they want more communication from their healthcare provider between visits. One way to do that is through preventive health education. While it’s important to encourage patients to schedule preventive screenings and checkups, it’s also crucial to educate patients on how they can improve their overall health and wellness between visits.…
Healthcare plans and providers know the importance of immunizations for both individuals and the overall population, and thus continuously work to keep the patients in their care up to date on their vaccinations. With August being National Immunization Awareness Month, now is the perfect time to remind parents about their children’s vaccines.…
When healthcare providers want to remind patients about upcoming appointments, they often rely on text messages to communicate. Texting is generally a good way to connect with patients because it is convenient for providers, and text messages are well-received by patients. But texting shouldn’t be reserved for just appointment reminders. There are numerous opportunities for providers to use text messaging to communicate with patients.…
Physicians know that healthy vision starts with regular eye exams. That’s why National Eye Exam Month is a great opportunity to promote preventive healthcare. Help patients see the world more clearly by teaching them how vision correction and healthy eyes lead to better learning, more productivity and healthier lifestyles. Here’s how.…
Millennials are reshaping the way businesses engage with their customers. For a generation commonly referred to as digital natives, technology plays an important role in millennials’ interactions. This familiarity with technology has in many ways shaped their high service expectations, which prioritize both personalization and convenience from companies. To effectively attract and retain patients within this generation, providers need to modernize their communications by embracing technologies.…
According to a 2018 West survey, twice as many patients want to receive text messages from healthcare providers today than did in 2011. Despite the widespread preference for text, however, West found that providers are not meeting patients’ expectations when it comes to texting. In a guest column recently published on HealthITOutcomes.com, Allison Hart, VP of Marketing Communications for West, discusses these and several other findings concerning the growing demand for patient text communications.…
Is your practice prepared for the unexpected? During the summer and winter seasons, the chances that your practice may have to close unexpectedly due to weather increase. Since the weather during these times of the year can be so unpredictable, you may not have a lot of time to notify patients if you need to close your office suddenly.…
National Men’s Health Week is this week, leading up to Father’s Day on Sunday. It’s a great time to remind men to take the necessary steps to be healthier and that they don’t have to do it alone. Keeping patients engaged is critical to their overall health, and utilizing key events can help promote awareness and preventive care.…
Both providers and patients have realized the convenience and flexibility that text communications provide, and healthcare practices are beginning to embrace texting as an essential tool for increasing provider-patient engagement and improving patient experience. As mobile phone usage continues to increase, text communications are not only more Iikely to be considered acceptable by patients—texting is becoming the preferred channel for patient communications as well.…
