When a telemedicine solution is brought into a medical clinic, it is very important that it provides an easy alternative to in-person appointments for patients. This will not just help patients get comfortable with virtual medicine, it will also encourage them to book more online doctor's appointments moving forward.
According to findings shared by Medical Economics, 69% of patients confirmed that access to an easy-to-use telemedicine solution would motivate them to book virtual appointments with their doctor.
Dr. Richard Tytus, Co-Founder and Medical Director of telemedicine solution Banty Inc., is a firm believer that ease-of-use is the key to getting patients interested in virtual visits with a doctor. To make telemedicine easy on patients, Dr. Tytus suggests that medical clinics should take the following steps:
Have a great telemedicine solution: Choosing Banty Virtual Clinic is the best first step you can take toward giving patients an easy telemedicine experience. Here, appointments can quickly be accessed by visiting a clinic's unique, dedicated Banty room address. Patients will no longer need a complicated, auto-generated meeting link and password to visit their doctor
See that you have a well-informed clinical team: To help patients begin their telemedicine experience, see that everyone at your clinic has a strong working knowledge of Banty Virtual Clinic. In the event someone has trouble logging on for their virtual appointment, a member of your team can lend guidance and help them realize how straightforward and convenient of a process it really is
Provide educational resources online: Not all patients will want to contact the clinic directly if they are having trouble figuring out your telemedicine solution. Many will want to do their research independently. Thus, your clinic should make a point of sharing a 'How To' guide or an 'FAQ' section on your website explaining the clinic's virtual medicine practices. You can even share helpful tips across your medical clinic's social media channels
Be understanding if appointments start late: As much as hosting virtual visits requires a learning curve for the clinical team, attending them requires patients gaining familiarity, too. During this process, it could mean appointments not beginning when they're supposed to. When this happens, show some understanding, and realize this should not be a long-term problem. Eventually, the patient will get the hang of this and always be on-time to see you
"The last thing patients being introduced to telemedicine want is a challenging experience that causes them frustration and stress," adds Dr. Tytus. "By choosing a solution like Banty Virtual Clinic, and instituting the right processes, your patients will soon realize just how easy virtual visits with their doctor can be."
Thanks FDAREG Watch for this coverage of Banty!
