Should I show up fasting? Do I need the referral on paper or is digital fine? Can I cancel by text? Magne has worked with digital solutions for healthcare providers long enough to know that it's exactly these small, concrete questions that decide whether a patient shows up prepared, or doesn't show up at all.
When the information isn't available, or is written in language full of abbreviations only professionals understand, the patient ends up calling. And the phone line at a healthcare provider is almost always the most expensive, slowest channel available.
Two paths a patient journey can take
In one version, the patient gets a confirmation with clear information right after booking, a reminder a couple of days ahead with exactly what she needs to know, and an easy way to move or cancel the appointment herself. She shows up prepared, and staff spend their time on care, not answering the same question for the hundredth time.
In the other version, the patient searches the website in vain, gives up, and calls instead. Reception answers questions that could have been solved automatically, and the truly important calls, the ones that need a human, become harder to get through.
Why this is harder in healthcare than other industries
Magne is clear that health information can't be treated like other marketing content. Wrong or unclear information can have real consequences, and privacy and record-keeping rules set constraints most other industries never have to think about. That's not an excuse for poor digital communication. It's a reason it needs to be more precise, not less.
A patient who doesn't understand their information calls. A patient who does shows up prepared.
What actually helps
Plain language, written for the patient, not the profession. Digital self-service for things that don't require a clinical judgment, like canceling or moving an appointment. And information that meets the patient when she actually needs it, not just when she goes looking for it on a website.
Get in touch with Magne to review where your patients actually run into confusion today.