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The rate of consumerism in healthcare has grown tremendously over the past few years. Patients now demand ease and convenience when it comes to their health needs and innovative healthcare technology, such as Updox’s new Video Chat, can play a pivotal role.
In fact, nearly 60 percent of recent survey respondents under 55 years of age said that it would be “life-changing” or “very useful” to be able to interact with their healthcare provider through video chat instead of making a routine visit. Telehealth solutions like Updox Video Chat have the power to expand providers’ engagement capabilities, reach patients in ways they prefer and help patients manage their conditions. Read on to discover three uses of Video Chat in order to improve your practice’s patient engagement efforts: 1 – Reaching Rural Patients Rural patients who, while comprising at least 15 percent of the U.S. population, face significant healthcare inequities compared to urban and suburban residents. Patients living in rural areas often face challenges such as a lack of nearby facilities, shortages of local healthcare providers and access to suitable specialists for quality patient care. Video Chat offers rural patients the opportunity to access better healthcare without having to travel long distances to see a provider. Video Chat goes beyond the capabilities of ordinary phone calls with the ability to directly see symptoms and conditions versus a provider relying on a patient’s verbal description of an issue to provide a diagnosis. 2 – Patient Triage Video Chat can help lower care costs and improve patient care. For example, if a patient suspects something is wrong but is unsure if they should seek immediate attention, they can quickly use Secure Text to ask questions with their healthcare provider. Staff can review and work with a doctor for a response. The doctor can then jump on a quick video call with the patient if additional information is needed and let them know if they should seek immediate care. The value is that providers have better visibility to determine the level of medical resources the patient needs and can direct them to the appropriate place of care. 3 – Care Coordination of Patients with Chronic Conditions Patients prefer convenience and the ability to communicate with their physicians through the use of health technology – especially for those with chronic conditions, which make up a majority of adults over the age of 50 in America. For those with hypertension, arthritis, diabetes or a combination of these conditions, regular visits to the doctor for status checks and health management can be a challenge, and Video Chat represents a flexible new care option. In fact, about 90 percent of telehealth patients prefer talking to doctors over video chat versus making in-person visits when the option exists. Using Updox Video Chat, practices can meet this consumer preference and add flexibility to their care coordination consultations, patient adherence checks, and chronic care management activities. Ready to engage patients more by having them in the office less through communication channels that people are already comfortable using? Learn more about our Video Chat solution and schedule a demo with one of our experts today to see how our engagement tools can help you reach your patients wherever they may be. |
