Three Reasons Smartphones will be Vital to Future Revenue Cycle Success

Derek Stein,
RevSpring

It’s not unusual to look around and see someone using their smartphone – no matter where you are – but you may not realize how pervasive our mobile culture has become.

Current statistics show that 1.3 million smartphones and tablets are activated daily. To give you some perspective, for every baby born into the world there are four mobile devices activated.

But what does it mean for healthcare?

Current research suggests that the rise in mobile is more than just a trend, and will transform the future of healthcare as we know it. Here are three reasons to consider adopting a more mobile savvy approach when communicating with your patients.

We are addicted to our mobile devices

The average person checks their smartphone 150 times a day, or once every six and half minutes. Today, smartphones and tablets are essential in helping us manage our day-to-day routine.

Hospitals have an opportunity to let patients accomplish more with their mobile devices. Whether it’s using SMS text messaging to communicate appointment and payment reminders, or offering self-service appointment scheduling, the mobile revolution has created a more responsive and engaged audience for providers.

Patients want more mobile healthcare access

According to a HealthDay survey, one-third of respondents were interested in managing their healthcare via smartphone or tablet. And when put to the test, the survey proves true.

Last year Kaiser Permanente made all of its EHR data available via mobile app. The result? Over 95,000, immediate downloads. The application’s success highlights the growing demand for patients to have greater mobile access to their healthcare.

Mobile access will be the new normal

Leveraging the power of mobile technologies is seen as a key to improving the patient experience according to John Williams, leader of the Future Hospital Commission’s research on the role of IT within the healthcare environment.

The commission’s report will be released in September 2013, however in an interview with Computer Weekly, Williams highlighted the need for a “greater use of handheld technologies, both by professionals and patients” in the future.

Enter Smartphone Healthcare

As the adoption of mobile technologies continues to grow, the impact it will have on healthcare cannot be underestimated. In fact, organizations with a strong multi-channel approach to patient communication and service will be more powerful than ever.

While we are still in the early stages of realizing the full spectrum of mobile applications for healthcare relationship management, hospitals now have an opportunity to better engage patients, stimulate faster responses, and offer more personalized healthcare experiences.

Leading revenue cycle management partners currently offer mobile appointment alerts, mobile-friendly bill pay, and mobile-friendly e-signature capabilities as a standard feature in their overall product portfolio.

About the Author

Derek Stein started his career as a marketer three years ago at the College of Wooster with community outreach, grassroots marketing, social media marketing, word of mouth, and local networking to help build and sustain a local athletic complex with no marketing budget. Now a Senior Marketing Manager for RevSpring, Derek’s passion for health and wellness and his focus on persuasive communication are aimed at improving patient satisfaction throughout the patient communication lifecycle.