Within the last few years, we have noticed some major changes in our everyday lives when it comes to convenience. The retail industry for instance, has transformed into prioritizing convenience over all else for customers. Not only can people shop online and have items delivered directly to their house, but companies like Amazon have become extremely popular as “one-stop-shop” kinds of places. If someone needs cleaning products, Amazon can have it to your door within two days. Need a last minute gift? Amazon can also have it at your door in two days. The retail industry is completely different from the medical industry, but one thing that remains the same is the desire for convenience.
The medical industry has faced some major changes over the last few years, all to make a patient’s visit more convenient. In the NRC Health’s 2019 Healthcare Consumer Trends Report, patients admitted that they want more from providers than just good care. They value ease and convenience. From this research, many healthcare providers have found that what they need to focus on is providing a better patient experience. There are quite a few new trends in the healthcare industry that help to provide a better patient experience. Here are some of the most popular that your practice needs to incorporate.
Easy Check In
Your patients want to be in and out of your office as soon as possible. Filling out paperwork such as insurance information or contact information can take up to half an hour depending on the amount needed. Almost every practice has made the transition to paperless check in. All of your patients’ information can be stored on a cloud-based electronic health record. This new type of service allows your patient to check in at their convenience. They can use their phone, tablet or computer before arriving at their appointment. The purpose of this is to skip over the redundancy of patients providing this information that can consume most of their time during the visit. Electronic records are also changing the way you care for your patients. Because all the paperwork is already done, you can skip to what’s important – speaking to your patient and really understanding the reason for their visit.
The Doc in A Box
The “doc in a box” is the slang term for urgent care offices. Urgent care became so popular because patients know they can be in and out of the doctor’s office without making an appointment. However, this isn’t the best medical care. Your patients should have a primary care physician and when a medical issue arises, they should be seeing their regular doctor rather than a different doctor every time they get sick. Regular doctors are familiar with your health and medical history whereas these urgent care doctors are not. The primary care physicians can accurately diagnose patients and keep track of every time their patient gets sick, in case it turns into a reoccurring event that signifies a bigger medical issue.
While the doc in a box trend is popular, you can bring back the competition. What if you could become a one-stop-shop for patients? After a trip to the doctor’s office, there is usually a trip to the local pharmacy. Sometimes a doctor’s visit can run longer than anticipated, and now there has to be a second stop in a person’s day. A way to resolve this issue is to start carrying some of the most popular medications at your practice. Your patients will be appreciative that they no longer have to make another stop in their day to go hunt for the medicine that you recommended. Before they leave your office, it’s already in their hands!
This is where Genexa comes in. Genexa is a cleaner medicine without all the harmful fillers that are in your name brand medications. When you partner with Genexa, you can carry the products such as sleep medicine, sinus medicine and other over the counter medications that can be found at the local pharmacy. It’s a great way to become that one-stop-shop for your patients and an extra way to bring in cash too!
Organic Medicine
While we’re on the topic of Genexa, it’s only right that we mention organic medicine as a trend; because it is on the rising trending list! Parents have really started to consider what they are giving their children to put into their bodies. If you go to a grocery store, you will notice tons of organic options. There has also been a rise in gluten free diets, which has increased the demand for gluten free options. This explains the rising trend of organic medicine.
Parents have access to all the research in the world. Any parent can go online and quickly learn that the medicine they give their gluten-free child means they are consuming gluten every time they take a pain reliever. Parents are looking for healthier alternatives, but the issue is finding those.
When you carry Genexa, you save your patient a trip to the local pharmacy where they will search for a healthy and wholesome over the counter medication, they can give their child. Parents need doctors to share a product with them that they recommend is not only healthy but will be effective in helping their child feel better.
As mentioned earlier, the healthcare industry is transitioning to accommodate patients who value convenience. These 3 trends are on the rise, and you won’t want to fall behind on.
Want to learn more about how you can become that one-stop-shop for your patients and be the doctor your patients come to for healthy, wholesome over the counter medications? Fill out our Genexa Practitioner application and a team member will contact you.