The patient flow management is becoming more challenging day by day due to its huge impact on healthcare delivery, patient satisfaction, operational efficiency and long term organizational success. By efficiently managing patient flow healthcare organizations can greatly improve operational efficiency, which help boosting productivity and profitability in long term. Healthcare delivery is a very sensitive sector, the patient are usually under stress, they want immediate service and attention. Crowded waiting areas are also not good from health and safety prospective. Therefore the hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, and healthcare organizations need a very efficient patient flow management system.
A modern queue management system is ideal for present day service sector’s needs. However, for the healthcare sector it needs some specific features, therefore a customized or tailor-made patient flow management system is required. A hospital queue management system or patient flow management system have all features of a modern queue management system with additional features such as integration with appointment booking tools, mobile queue management apps, healthcare and patient portals, electronics healthcare databases, and patient databases, etc. It also has to offer intuitive management dashboard where the management and responsible personals can monitor and control the patient flow.
In this blog we will discuss the role of a queue management system in healthcare facilities and how to leverage it for patient excellence and long term success.
See Also: What are the Different Types of Queue Management System?
What is a Hospital Queue Management System?
Traditionally a digital queue management system is a combination of software and hardware which is specifically designed to streamline the customer flow at any service center and to solve waiting line problems. Different industries utilize queue management systems and customize them as per their needs and industry standards. For example, a queue management system at banks would be slightly different than a queue management system for logistic company or for a government office. All industry sectors who are serving customer in one way or another require a proactive waiting line management system.
Whether it is retail, banking sector, logistics or transportation, government office, educational institutions, healthcare facilities, airports, every industry have different challenges, hence every industry needs a personalized queuing solution to deal with those exclusive challenges. In healthcare facilities a queue management system often includes a ticket dispensing kiosk, digital signage screens to display live queuing updates, announcement and ticket calling system, integration with patient portals, online booking systems, and in some cases integrated mobile applications as well. A hospital queue management system can also integrate multiple communication channels and virtual queuing for elevated patient experience.
See Also: What are the Basic Components of Queue Management System?
Benefits of Implementing a Hospital Queue Management System at Hospitals and Healthcare Facilities
Every country has a different healthcare system, the hospitals, clinics, testing labs, and other healthcare facilities in UAE are well-aware of the competitiveness and diverse business landscape. In such dynamic and diverse business landscape if a healthcare organization wants to build a good reputation, they must ensure a quicker and satisfactory healthcare delivery to the patients. Studies have shown that around 30% of the patient tend to choose healthcare facilities majorly on the bases of wait time. That is why a proactive and well-structured approach to patient flow management is absolutely essential. A hospital queue management system offer various advanced features which not only elevate patient experience but also help healthcare organizations to drive efficiency through internal processes.
See Also: Important Hardware Components of a Queue Management System
Here are some key advantages of a hospital queue management system which healthcare organizations can leverage to boost operational efficiency and to elevate patient experience:
- Digital Check-Ins: Patient can register through online or via mobile apps, and they can also check-in via on-premises ticket dispensing kiosk. Both the online channels and the ticket dispensing kiosks is integrated with patient database, hence eliminating the need of manual check-ins and prevent crowding at receptions.
- Real-time Notifications and Alerts: A hospital queue management system is integrated with various communication channels such as SMS, WhatsApp, email, etc. which enable it to send real-time updates, notifications and alerts about patient turn, any change in their wait time, or any other important information. It can also send alerts via online portals, and mobile applications.
- Reduced Wait Time: Long wait time and delays are common complaints at healthcare facilities which can greatly hinder patient satisfaction. By leveraging a hospital queue management system the healthcare facilities can effectively utilize their resources and optimize their internal workflows which streamline patient flow and reduce wait time.
- Analytical Data and Reporting: This is one of the most important feature of a hospital queue management system. The management can get deeper insights to patient flow and they can also measure staff performance. The in-built analytical and customized reporting tools help identifying bottlenecks and areas of improvement which lead to informed decisions.
- Elevate Patient Experience: A well-organized waiting area and efficient patient flow lead to a calm and stress-free environment which let patient feel more valued and respected. Furthermore the reduction in wait time, efficiency in healthcare delivery, digital check-ins, real-time updates and various other features also help elevating patient experience and entire patient journey.
- Boost Staff Performance: For any healthcare facility the staff performance management is very crucial. The patient experience, quality of healthcare and patient satisfaction depends on staff efficiency. A hospital queue management system empowers staff by providing them with real-time updates and analytical data which enable them to make informed decisions and avoid bottlenecks.
- Enhance Internal Workflows: As it is integrated with internal systems, core application, and all relevant third-party solutions, it can effortlessly make data available on all relevant platforms. As a patient turn comes, their data is pushed to all platforms such as doctors, cash counters, labs, admin staff, etc. which greatly improve internal workflows and drive efficiency and accuracy.
- Effectively Implement Queuing Policy: At any healthcare there are always some patients who need urgent attention and have severe problem than the rest. A hospital queue management system provides specialized features which allow management to prioritize different patients on the bases of severity of their problem ensuring a smooth and seamless patient flow.
- Crowd Prevention: For any hospital or healthcare facility the crowd formation is a big challenge which not only impact patient experience but also tend to reduce staff performance. A hospital queue management system provides real-time data analysis and alerts to the staff giving them enough time to reallocate resources and avoid crowd formation at any touch point.
- AI and Resource Optimization: The AI or Artificial intelligence plays a vital role in modern queuing. A hospital queue management system equipped with AI can help management acquire a deeper insight into patient flow, behavior and staff performance. It can predict wait time, and it can identify trends which help optimizing the resource allocation in real-time.
- Virtual Queuing and Personalized Scheduling: A hospital queue management system supports virtual queuing integrated with remote channels, allowing patient to sign-up remotely without being physically present at the premises. Patient can chose the time of appointment form available slots based on predictive wait time and currently patient flow, which elevate patient experience.
- Increased Transparency and Trust: When the patient are unsure of when their turn comes, they get anxious. A hospital queue management system not only provide real-time queuing updates but it also provide predictive wait time. When the patients know the queuing is managed by an automated system, they feel confident that they are treated fairly without any discrimination.
- Scalability and Customization: A hospital queue management system comes with a centralized server-side software which makes it a lot easier to expand it to other branches or add more counters and users. The management can also customize the queue management system as per their emerging needs with nominal expense, which makes them more future-ready.
A hospital queue management system is exclusively designed for healthcare sector keeping all the industry needs and challenges in mind. The upfront cost of the deployment of a hospital queue management system might seem high, but in long-term if the ROI is calculated considering the impact it has on patient and staff performance, makes it ideal solution for modern patient-centric healthcare facilities.
Furthermore the maintenance and operational cost of a hospital queue management system is very nominal which further add value of its overall ROI. Organizations can easily scale it up, do more integration with other systems and customize its features as per their needs which increase its impact.
See Also: What is a Bill Payment Kiosk: Everything You Need to Know
Conclusion
A hospital queue management system is a specialized type of modern digital queue systems. It includes industry specific features which makes it more effective. That is why a hospital queue management system plays a crucial role in streamlining patient flow, elevating patient journey and experience and enhancing operational efficiency. A hospital queue management system effectively reduce patient wait time, and it offers remote check-ins and personalized scheduling or appointment booking which empowers patient. Furthermore, both the management and the patients get full queuing updates in real-time which where enhances patient experience also help boosting the operational efficiency.
The integration with other third-party software, databases, electronic health record, patient data, online channels and appointment booking tools make hospital queue management system a complete transformation tool. Hospitals, clinics, testing labs, and other healthcare facilities operating in Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and all around the UAE are well aware of the competitive business landscape of the country. Studies have shown that a large number of patients prioritize a healthcare facility only on the bases of wait time. That is why a proactive and modern approach to patient flow management is crucial for a long term organizational success.
In this blog we briefly discussed the role of a hospital queue management system in elevating patient experience and boosting operational efficiency in healthcare facilities. If you want to learn more about the subject or if you need our help in deploying a tailor-made hospital queue management system for your healthcare facility, please feel free to contact us through our Contact Us page or leave a comment in the comment box below and we will get in touch with you soon.
See Also: What should be covered in a hospital website?
See Also: The Cost of Custom Software Development: Factors to Consider