Flu season is rapidly approaching, which means healthcare providers must ramp up their preparedness efforts. What can they do to ensure they’re ready to meet the seasonal surge in demand?
Recent data from the southern hemisphere, often a forecast of what’s to come in the US, suggests that this year’s flu season will likely be similar to last year. The CDC warns that while “we cannot predict what will happen in the United States this upcoming season, we know that flu has the potential to cause significant illness, hospitalizations and deaths.”
With hundreds of thousands of people hospitalized each year, providers must find ways to prepare for rising patient volumes and manage the risk of infection among patients and staff to keep services running smoothly. Making it as easy as possible for patients to book and attend vaccination appointments will be critical. Digital patient access will be the key to streamlining patient care.
Using digital tools to prepare for flu season 2024-25
As services face increasing pressure, digital and automated tools can help healthcare providers prepare for flu season by easing staff burdens. More patients mean more appointments to schedule, more registration forms to fill out and more people in waiting rooms.
Opening the digital front door helps manage high volumes by allowing patients to complete more access tasks online and prevent bottlenecks. Here are three strategies to implement to support staff and patients through a challenging season:
1. Manage infection risk with online self-scheduling
An online patient scheduling platform has two clear benefits – it relieves pressure on staff during busy times and gives providers control over patient flow. Fewer calls need to be made by call center agents. No-shows are less likely because patients can book, reschedule and cancel appointments, and receive automated reminders, which makes the best use of physicians’ time. Online scheduling also plays a part in infection control as providers can incorporate screening protocols to identify patients with symptoms of COVID-19 or flu, and manage their onward care pathway appropriately.
Empowering consumers to take control of their healthcare with a patient scheduling system might encourage vaccine registrations, which could help reduce the burden on health serviceswhen staffing shortages remain stubbornly high.
What’s more, patients now expect the flexibility and convenience of scheduling appointments at a time and place that suits them. Experian Health’s 2024 State of Patient Access surveyfound that six in ten patients want more digital tools to manage their healthcare. This indicates a growing demand for easy, simple and transparent processes.
2. Offer mobile registration to manage demand
Should patient volumes increase, patient access staff will be under even more pressure than usual. Anything that can reduce the administrative burden will be a win. Experian Health’s Registration Accelerator allows patients to complete intake forms and insurance checks through their mobile devices before stepping through the door. Their details can be pre-filled automatically, reducing the risk of error. This creates a quicker, more efficient patient registration experience that minimizes issues for staff to resolve.
Mobile-enabled registration is also far more appealing for patients, who’d rather complete registration from the comfort of home than sit in a waiting room filling out lengthy forms. Plus, it reduces in-person interactions, thus minimizing exposure to infection among staff and patients.
Given that 89% of patients say digital or paperless pre-registration is important to them, providers that offer online patient intake solutions will have a clear advantage in attracting potential new customers during times of high demand.
3. Reduce no-shows and increase engagement with automated patient outreach
Providers must communicate proactively with patients to keep them in the loop as the situation evolves. With an open rate of 98%, text messages are a direct and convenient way to communicate quickly with patients.
Automated patient outreach can increase vaccination rates by notifying patients about flu shot availability and offering a direct link to schedule an appointment. Automated reminders reduce no-show rates and help ensure no slot goes unused as patient volumes increase. Messages can also include tailored instructions for specific at-risk groups to emphasize the importance of timely vaccination and provide directions.
This approach helps manage patient flow, increase patient satisfaction and ensure providers are prepared for the seasonal surge.
Contact Experian Health today to learn how digital patient access solutions can help healthcare providers prepare for flu season in 2024.
