In this day and age, creating a seamless patient journey is not an easy job. While by and large the patient experience depends on staff, they cannot be expected to do everything on their own. When staff are overworked without enough personnel to provide assistance, patient experience — and hence patient satisfaction — suffers.

As more and more patients seek out reputable ambulatory surgery centers for outpatient procedures, it’s more important than ever that facilities consider ASC patient engagement as a key aspect of their overall communication strategies. What complicates the matter is finding a way to be personal and helpful for each individual patient without burning all of your time and energy doing so. There is ambulatory surgery center software available that makes these processes much easier, of course. But in developing your ASC messaging strategies, it is important to keep a few things in mind:

Our parents and grandparents experienced healthcare in a straightforward way. They went to a doctor they respected, were treated for what was wrong, and didn't question the advice of their physician. They usually went to the doctor only when absolutely necessary and never dreamed of the fantastic array of options now available. Today, patients have access to a wide range of healthcare options. They can research their symptoms and choose when and where they want treatment. Things have changed in many ways, and your ASC has to keep up with these changes.

The patients at your ASC are your most valuable asset. Without individuals turning to your Ambulatory Surgery Center for procedures, you'd be out of business. When patients use your facility, it's vital to foster loyalty and thank them for using your ASC. At this time of year, when everyone is more rushed, it’s particularly important to show your patients how thankful you are for them. 

Surgery Center of Fairbanks had already been working with One Medical Passport for online patient registration before COVID-19. Once COVID-19 hit, they decided to integrate Engage, One Medical Passport’s patient communication solution. This allowed Fairbanks to communicate with patients and their loved ones on COVID-19 screening results, all of their new social distancing and waiting room guidelines, as well as surgical updates (so family members could completely avoid the waiting room.)

COVID-19 has rocked our world—from how we work to how we access healthcare to how we connect with each other. Recent research found that during the coronavirus pandemic, video chatting apps and social media website usage spiked significantly, in some cases up to 80%! What does that mean for older patients? Well, they probably are not as technologically disconnected as you might think. 

COVID-19 has changed how all of us communicate. Chances are, you haven’t seen your patients in a while. So how can you increase patient engagement now?

Patient engagement tools are rapidly expanding. When they are implemented correctly, these solutions can offer significant benefits—improving outcomes, reducing costs, and increasing patient engagement. In an ever-expanding world of options, how do you choose the right patient engagement solution for your ASC?

The overall measure of a patient satisfaction score comes down to how patients feel about their care. While a patient’s impression of your facility can feel elusive, there are some tangible steps you can take to increase your patient satisfaction scores.