“Empowering patients—and employees, for that matter—
to communicate with us in real
time has been and continues to be a game -changer when it comes to raising patient
satisfaction levels,” LoMonaco says. “It’s easy to turn a situation around while the patient is still at the hospital. Once the person is out the door, it becomes much more difficult.” The hospital also sends emails to patients prior to their appointments. In addition to a “thank you” for choosing CHOMP for their imaging exams, these communications feature a link patients can click to convey any needs or questions they may have before the appointment. Other specifics provided in those messages include the location of the exam and what the co-pay will be, if there is one.
“Empowering patients to control their own experience is a cornerstone of patient-centric care, and this is just another method of empowerment,” LoMonaco says. Patient-centered radiology and patient-centered radiology strategies will undoubtedly continue to emerge and evolve as healthcare reform marches on and an increasingly educated, highly engaged base of patients seeks tighter control of their own healthcare destiny. To survive in an era and environment where value is king, private practices and hospitals alike will need to embrace these strategies with open arms.”