A hospital discharge doesn’t mean recovery is complete. In fact, recovery extends will beyond the hospitals doors. As recovery can be different for every patient, it is crucial to provide tedious and effective follow-up care to drive positive patient outcomes. According to a study published by Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, patients truly recognize the value of follow-up care, but without care provider follow-up, patients do not always complete the necessary recovery steps. Providers must not only fully equip the patients with the tools they need to recover, but also be actively involved to ensure optimized patient well-being.
Patients need to know that the provider will be there every step of the way. Here are some basic guidelines to maximize the patient’s well-being upon discharge:
Schedule the first follow-up appointment before the patient is discharged
Ensure the patient has a reliable ride to check-up appointments
Send SMS text to remind patient about upcoming appointments
Personally call or email the patient to check-up on them
Consider using a ‘treatment book’ (Document containing diagnosis, medicines prescribed, follow-up appointments, consultation with doctor etc.)
Be their support network. Remind the patient that you are readily available to them on and off the clock.
All of these tips, especially when combined as a complete patient solution, will likely have a profound positive impact on recovery, and equally important, a big positive impact on patient satisfaction. And unlike robocalls, the key to maximizing follow-up care is the human touch. In other words, patient engagement is all about people helping people … not simply a software program that auto-dials with a canned message. The patient will more likely adhere to recovery treatments if the follow-up is from another person, who is amiable and supportive during the process. PREMEDEX is built on the foundation of people helping people.
If your team is serious about patient engagement, then move away from robocalls, and start with a PREMEDEX “people-centric” program.
Contact PREMEDEX to learn more … click here.