HIPAA-compliant live chat elevates customer experience in healthcare vertical
As technological advancements continue to infuse and transform every facet of society, the healthcare industry is no exception. While some may argue that healthcare technology adoption has been too sluggish at times, consumers, patients, and providers alike can all be thankful that a rapidly changing landscape solidifies the need for HIPAA compliant technology solutions in 2019 and beyond. Organizations already using HIPAA compliant technology have experienced profound results, including:
• Reduced cost-per-interaction
• Higher patient satisfaction
• Improved efficiencies
• Reduced risk of facing costly noncompliance penalties
• Improved reporting and data collection
• Increased conversion rates
The CDC reports that in 2015 alone the United States spent $3.2 trillion in healthcare expenditures, and this number continues to climb. Providers today can adopt innovative and creative uses of HIPAA compliant technology in their efforts to curb rising costs while meeting the needs of a growing population that is living longer than ever before.
New audience; new technologies
The demand for advancements in healthcare technology has been spurred in part by our nation’s changing population and recent shifts in demographics. Millennials have officially overtaken Baby Boomers as the largest living generation in America, as reported by Pew Research Center. In fact, millennials now number 74.5 million in the United States alone and represent over a quarter of the nation’s population. It’s hard to ignore the fact that these 74.5 million individuals possess immense purchasing power.
As members of the generation continue to move into their prime spending years, advance in careers, raise families and assist aging parents and/or grandparents, this power and the generation’s desire for a revamped healthcare system that integrates with their lifestyle will increase. In fact, 60 percent of millennials are in favor of incorporating telemedicine (the use of telecommunications technologies to support remote health care, education, and administration) into their comprehensive healthcare strategy.
Smart healthcare organizations looking to cater to a changing demographic while remaining competitive in the landscape can use HIPAA compliant technology solutions such as live chat to their advantage.
HIPAA-compliant chat offers up innovative solutions for providers seeking a competitive edge
If you think that your organization isn’t a good fit for live chat, think again. The applications for chat in healthcare are as varied as the providers implementing new technology and the patients and consumers they serve. Here are just a few examples:
Telemedicine and remote care
Many healthcare providers and health insurance companies now offer patients the ability to connect with a doctor or nurse remotely in a telemedicine setting. Patients experiencing routine issues such as the common cold can log into secure web portals and chat with a nurse about their symptoms and recommended course of treatment from the comfort of home. Telemedicine represents an exciting development in medical care, and is already working to help alleviate overcrowded urgent care centers and doctors’ offices, freeing up providers and reducing cost-per-interaction.
Medical offices, clinics, and hospitals
Live chat helps clients such as Phoenix Children’s Hospital address inquiries, complete tasks, and resolve issues that used to be reserved for in-person, phone, or email interactions only. Chat software allows those fulfilling administrative functions in provider offices and clinics (office managers, front desk receptionists, medical assistants, etc) the freedom and flexibility to assist multiple patients concurrently. This results in shorter wait times and increased patient satisfaction. Administrative and billing staff can use chat technology to help them schedule patient appointments, answer commonly asked questions, resolve billing and insurance issues, refill prescriptions, and more.
Health insurance providers
Chat technology helps insurance providers deliver an improved customer experience by giving patients the option to connect instantly with insurance customer care teams. Consumers receive the answers they need when they need them, and satisfaction increases as a result. Instead of assisting a single client at once over the phone, customer care teams can assist multiple consumers at once, which significantly reduces cost-per-interaction spend and wait times. Insurance providers can also use chat to guide patients and potential subscribers through online surveys and form submissions, helping providers avoid costly errors down the line.
Medical equipment, pharmaceutical companies, and healthcare SaaS providers
Companies in this space can connect instantly with customers securely and privately via HIPAA compliant conversation platforms, allowing providers to answer questions about products and offerings in a shorter amount of time, reducing the sales cycle duration and increasing conversion rates and revenue. On the flip side, customer support teams can rely on chat technology to help them deliver quality customer support and answer questions or resolve issues concerning products and services. They can use online conversation platforms to do this more efficiently and cheaply, all while maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction.
Fertility services
HIPAA compliant conversation technology also proves to be incredibly valuable for medical services such as cord banking and fertility clinics, in which potential users of these types of services often conduct extremely thorough and time-consuming research. Chat helps providers address detailed questions and explain procedures in a secure, non-threatening setting and allows providers to help future patients make confident and well-informed decisions.