The vital role of online booking for multi-location healthcare companies

Each year, a plethora of new advancements in healthcare and healthcare marketing explode onto the scene, however, one of the most impactful changes to healthcare companies has come in the form of online bookings. In fact, 67% of patients prefer to book their appointments online, and that number is continuing to increase. Online scheduling has made it easier for patients to get the care they need when they need it, without having to mess with calls or emails. When your patients can book their appointments during their commute or late at night when they randomly remember they need to see a practitioner, you benefit from seeing more patients and the patients you see are more engaged. Online booking isn’t just a convenience, it’s a game-changer for multi-location healthcare brands and their patients! Here’s why:

Convenience: Calling an office and requesting an appointment takes time, and it can only be done during operating hours when someone is there to answer the phone. With our busy lives, that sounds like something most people would avoid doing, and rightly so when they have work, family, and life obligations! Allowing your patients to book appointments anytime and anywhere with just a few clicks is pure convenience, and it puts the patient experience first. This is especially true for multi-location practices, where it might not be obvious if you’re calling the right office and some calls may need to be transferred or returned in order to schedule the right appointment. The convenience also extends to your front desk staff because, without having to schedule appointments and transfer calls, they can focus all of their attention on patients in office, further improving the patient experience.
Efficiency: Digital systems are not immune from mistakes, however, they are less likely to happen with automations and oversight in place than they are with manual systems. An online, automated scheduling system can help your multi-location healthcare company streamline operations, minimize errors, and optimize resource utilization across locations. You can integrate your booking system with other systems to ensure streamlined communications and tracking. Your administrative staff will find that online booking systems remove complications and allow them to focus on delivering a better patient experience without the hassle of manually managing appointments.
Engagement: Stay more connected with your patients through timely reminders and proactive communication when patients book through an online system. It’s easier to send out multi-location appointment reminders when the system is automated, especially if you are short-staffed or experiencing a patient boom. Appointment reminders can be customized to meet the needs of your patients. For example, younger patients might prefer SMS reminders while other patients might prefer to receive a calendar invite and email. Either way, you can expect higher patient engagement when you are interacting with patients in their preferred channels and gently encouraging appointment attendance.
Trust: A seamless booking experience shows your patients they can depend on your healthcare company to provide positive experiences that put their needs first. Making it easy and pain-free to schedule appointments can go a long way in improving the patient-provider relationship because you are both now focused on what matters most; comprehensive, personalized care.
Client acquisition and retention: Finally, the high demand for seamless online booking options means having an effective system can be a big differentiator for healthcare companies when patients are searching for healthcare services. Implementing a great booking system can help your multi-location healthcare company attract new patients and retain the ones you currently have! Everyone loves the convenience and efficiency of being able to book appointments whenever and wherever with just access to the internet; so much so that your patients may stick around for longer!

Two quick considerations to keep in mind when setting up an online booking system that may impact your multi-location healthcare company.

Security – We have said it once, we will say it again: make sure your system and data processes are HIPAA compliant. You will need to ensure the proper security measures are in place throughout the entire booking process, whether that means hiring an external expert or using tools specific to the healthcare industry.
Personalization – With an automated system, you will lose some of the personalized approach that comes with manual scheduling and patients making direct contact with a person. However, with automated systems it is now easy to add small personalizations, and you can make up for it in other ways, like sending birthday or anniversary cards.