Retailers and service industry leaders have been embracing web development to support their businesses for some time, recognizing that a well-planned web presence aids in customer attraction and retention.
The healthcare industry has been slower to adopt best practice web development for their businesses, with approximately 70% of US hospitals still using fax and post to send patient records. However, the online opportunities for healthcare businesses are endless. Online web apps can be used to help patients manage their goals, track patient appointments, and even view lab results.
At Railsware or a similar reputable firm, the healthcare industry can access web development experts and begin to experience the benefits of a gold star online presence.
- Improved patient retention
There are more than 870,000 active medical doctors in the US. With so many healthcare providers available to patients, healthcare professionals must provide an unrivalled service to keep their patients engaged. By creating a web presence which is informative, user-friendly, and useful to patients, you can ensure that your patients find your services easy to locate and use. With the right website or app development, your patients can access clinic information, book appointments, and pay for services at any time of the day, making your clinic a convenient option.
In a recent survey, 71% of patients said that they would prefer if their regular doctor had a healthcare mobile app. Mobile health apps constitute a big business; the global healthcare app development market is estimated to be valued at over $59 billion.
- Convenient patient records
A basic web presence is an excellent start for your healthcare business; however, adding extra functionality for your intranet system, such as patient record storage, can provide further benefits. Health professionals are often on the receiving end of good-natured jabs at their handwriting legibility, but this stereotype may hold some truth. Studies have shown that more than 60% of medication errors in hospitals can be attributed to poor handwriting; keeping digital patient records greatly reduces the risk of medical mix-ups and missing documentation due to illegible handwriting.
Digital patient records are synonymous with the dawn of digital medicine, and they’re gaining support among patients as well. A 2019 poll by the Henry J. Kaiser Foundation reported that 45% of US citizens believe electronic patient records have improved the quality of care they receive.
- Digital doctor services
As businesses around the globe adapt to consumer demand for online service options, the healthcare industry has also been finding opportunities to provide a high level of healthcare using digital solutions. The Covid-19 pandemic pushed medical professionals to find fast, effective ways to treat patients remotely, a challenge that many hospitals rose to admirably.
Telehealth and remote consultations are nothing new; however, technological advancements have made it easier than ever to contact a doctor and even to receive a diagnosis while in separate physical locations.
A well-designed website can provide doctors and patients with the opportunity to video chat, place a voice call, or even simply text chat online. This allows doctors to treat a variety of patients without the inconvenience of travelling to the clinic. Recent statistics show that 50% of US adults would be willing to pay for tele-health services, and according to Casey Neville DHSc, telehealth provides cost reductions and improved access to care in some patients.
- Improve perception of healthcare
One of the biggest barriers that the healthcare industry faces is the reluctance of many patients to seek medical care. In a recent survey of healthcare-seeking behaviour, 65% of men responded that they avoid going to the doctor for as long as possible, and 37% reported withholding information from their doctors to avoid the stress of a potential diagnosis.
With many people tending to avoid seeking healthcare, having a welcoming and informative web presence can help your patients to feel at ease before they even attend your clinic. 47% of internet users research information about doctors and health care professionals, and 68% of potential patients form an opinion about your practice after reading only 1-6 online reviews, so it’s important that you perfect the design.
By proactively developing a strong web presence, which makes it easy for potential patients to ‘meet’ your doctors and leave reviews, you can form a great initial impression and make your patients feel more comfortable about their visit.
Conclusion
The healthcare industry will always play an important role in keeping our community safe, but it’s critical that healthcare professionals move with the times and adapt to what modern patients want.
By utilizing reputable web developers to create an informative and user-friendly website or app for your healthcare business, you can ensure that your business has a competitive edge and is well positioned to impress your patients.