CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management. There are several reasons that healthcare practitioners adopt CRM technology as part of their delivery of services. For example, the primary purpose of CRM software in healthcare is to attract new clients to a particular hospital or private practice. Next, steps must be taken to develop the best strategies for communication with those clients. And lastly, insights can be gleaned to help improve the user experience, optimise the delivery of care, and boost patient satisfaction (all with the aim of boosting retention levels). Check out this CRM tool by Sage.com for further reading.
Today, we are going to take a much closer look at some of the common features of CRM software in healthcare, helping you to better understand the applications of the technology.
Patient information management
CRM provides healthcare staff with easy access to patient records. Not only that but the software can be automated to amend any changes to patient information across all systems. This feature improves the patient experience by removing the need to fill out forms or speak to several members of staff about a change of details – updates are centralised, and staff across departments can benefit from instant access to the most up to date information.
Automated communications
Anyone who has ever given their details to a hospital or private practice of any kind is aware that they will likely receive communications (either digitally or through the mail). CRM can help any care provider to make contact with patients at the most relevant times through automated communications. For example, appointment reminders, screening reminders, and event alerts. Automated communications free up administrative staff.
Segmentation for direct email campaigns
CRM can not only store patient information ready for automated communications, but it can help to segment patients into high-risk groups (further improving the relevance of any communications). For example, segmentation could include age, location, and known ongoing health issues. The Coronavirus pandemic is an excellent example of how segmented patient data can assist healthcare providers in systematically contacting the most vulnerable patients.
Outreach campaigns to attract top talent
Hospitals and private practices cannot function without expert staff. CRM can help attract top talent by managing all recruitment communications. Through the software, outreach campaigns can be devised that inform medical practitioners – within the desired catchment area – of any vacancies. CRM tools also allow for analysis of responses and automated follow-up emails. Where this stage of recruitment is automated, administration staff are free to complete other tasks.
Compliance
Handling staff and patient data will come with regulatory concerns. CRM software provides compliance protocols that mean staff can easily carry out all administrative and marketing tasks without accidentally violating any current compliance requirements. Where data is mishandled (accidentally or otherwise), the legal repercussions could include heavy fines. The software can be set up to ensure compliance with the different issues facing single practitioners, speciality practices, and larger facilities. Again, where compliance is automated through CRM, staff are free to complete their pressing daily tasks.
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