BlogsHarnessing the power of virtual queuing for patients: Top 5 benefits for healthcare facilities
With hospitals becoming a hub for COVID-19 patients, many people are avoiding visiting hospitals for fear of catching the Coronavirus. In May, it was reported that 36% of people in the USA were more scared of going to hospitals than they were of going to beaches or hair salons. Another report from the USA also said that the number of visits to emergency rooms had reduced by 50% since the COVID-19 pandemic.
While it’s true that COVID-19 is a genuine threat, patients cannot continue to avoid seeking professional medical help. This can put their lives at risk. Hospitals must strive to reassure patients about their safety while providing care delivery. Read on as we discuss how healthcare facilities can use virtual queuing and walk-in token kiosks for patients to address these issues and make healthcare more accessible.
How Can Virtual Queuing and Walk-in Token Kiosks Contribute to Patient Safety?
Streamlining Appointments
Introducing a virtual queue management system can allow patients to arrange for appointments in advance with their designated healthcare provider. These appointments can be booked via a mobile app. Healthcare facilities can use this tool to keep track of the number of appointments made at a time. With only a limited number of appointments available, healthcare facilities can serve patients based on the urgency of their condition and prevent overcrowding.
Managing Unplanned Visits
Walk-in token kiosks empower patients who need to visit the healthcare center and do not have an appointment. These token kiosks have a QR code that can be scanned with a mobile phone. They allow the patient to join the queue without touching the kiosk screen.
Eliminating Waiting Periods inside the Healthcare Facility
Besides booking an appointment in advance, the virtual queue management system can also allow hospital management to deliver SMS notifications to patients about the date and time of their appointment. Patients can arrive at the healthcare facility just ahead of the appointment and wait in their car or near the hospital. An SMS notification will be delivered when their turn comes. This significantly inhibits the threat of a patient catching the virus while they wait inside hospital premises.
Keeping Patients Informed About Medical News and Events
The queue system can be equipped with digital screens. Hospitals can use these for displaying queue information. The screens also serve as a medium for delivering essential healthcare updates, reiterating safety guidelines for the pandemic, and other critical information.
Enabling Superior Patient Management and Staff Performance
An effective digital healthcare transformation solution that introduces virtual queuing can also enable for better patient journey management. These systems can allow the hospital to gather feedback regarding the quality of patient care and staff performance. These data reports can be used to provide a better patient experience and identify any discrepancies in healthcare services.
SEDCO Offers Innovative Digital Transformation Solutions to Healthcare Facilities
SEDCO has developed cutting edge digital transformation solutions that integrate smart queue management system to deliver all of the aforementioned benefits, and can help hospitals modify their service models to address patient concerns, curb virus fears, and promote their safety.
So far, SEDCO has helped various other organizations such as diagnostic facilities, telecom businesses, and government institutions to integrate virtual queuing into their operational framework. Contact our team to learn more about these digital healthcare transformation solutions and how they can help hospitals keep up with changing patient perceptions and introduce queue management to continue serving patients, gather patient feedback, and offer online appointment booking.