Today, we have an abundance of technological advantages that put people ahead. The modern generations are raised with the internet and mini computers in their hands, with access to thousands upon thousands of research and data. How many times have you seen a patient that has one issue, but worsened by something else because “the internet said they had such and such a disease?” It happens. As more and more technological advances make their way into society, it’s important to ask yourself if you and your practice are ready to adapt? Are you ready to answer questions backed by self-interpreted online research? How can you adapt? What can you do with all this new technology? There are many things, such as…
Patient portals. These are probably one of the biggest steps an office can take when adopting technology into their workspaces. These portals give the patients one-hundred percent (100%) access to their medical files the moment they are logged into the shared system. This cuts out the need for a patient to look up a symptom and make conclusions of their own, because they can e-mail the doctor directly with questions or to set up an appointment.
Telemedicine. This one is more beneficial for patients who aren’t able to get to the doctor in person. Telemedicine is when a doctor can call or video chat a patient and make evaluations, diagnoses, and offer treatments at a distance.
Shared networks. Something as simple as a prescription used to take extra time before there was a way to digitally send it to the pharmacy. Most doctors now have the ability to sit in the same room with a patient, talk about a medication, and send in a request to your chosen pharmacy in a flash. There’s no more gripping onto the piece of paper, trying to read the notorious “doctor handwriting”. Having a shared network is also easy when making referrals; they can also be done in a second, rather than burdening an administrator with phone calls that took away precious time from other patients.
Technology’s advancements don’t have to be a burden for medical professionals; utilize it to make your practice run more smoothly and efficiently!
