Patients expect medical providers to modernize their use of technology
The other night as my friend and I sat down for dinner, he opened up the conversation with a pretty mundane recollection of his day: work, gym, then taking care of some bills. He was stumped by one bill he owed his medical provider.
“It was strange,” he said, puzzled. “I had to fill out my credit card information on paper, and now I have to mail it to them.”
I shrugged, told him that’s pretty normal for medical bills, and asked why it was so strange.
“Why can’t I do it online? How do I even mail it… Do I get it FedEx-ed?”
His response warranted laughter, but I stopped after realizing he was serious. At this day and age, it has become pretty customary to not only view bills online, but be able to process them online as well. It’s how my friend paid his internet, electric, and even made his car payments. So why not his medical bills?
It is no secret that medical providers suffer from a wondrous technology gap. Not only do most of them require payment through mail, but many continue to use paper as their primary method for collecting and storing information on individual patients. For millennials like my friend, this process seems archaic in the digital age.
Some are trying to change that. Over the past few years, tech-savvy individuals and start-ups have sought to fill the vacuum by creating modern online patient-portals and medical apps. Curogram, a web-based SMS app, aims to improve the experience of both patients and medical practices by providing a platform for two-way communication. With new medical technology like the one Curogram offers, patients can sms-chat with front-desk and physicians, schedule appointments, fill prescriptions and view results from tests — all online.
Despite its convenience and effectiveness, medical providers have been slow to adopt them. Patients expect more from their medical providers in this modern era dominated by technological advancements. They definitely expect more from their physicians, the individuals they trust with their health.
Studies show that the better a physician’s communication is with their patient, the better healthcare that patient receives. Just like how technology, especially in the form of social media, has helped individuals maintain relationships with friends, family, and acquaintances, technology can make an impact in the medical world as well. For one, physicians are more accessible through sms-chat features.
Remember all those times when you had a question about irregularities in your health, and you had to schedule an appointment with your physician — and their only availability was weeks from now? With technology, it’s as easy as sending a text to your physician. If it’s serious, they’ll encourage you to come for an in-person visit, or just go to urgent care. It’s definitely better than being left in the dark waiting while your health potentially worsens.
It is not a question of if medical practices will begin adopting these new and efficient technological tools. It’s a question of when, and how soon. Patients want to be able to have the option to access their health records, schedule appointments, contact their physician, and simply pay their medical bills.
For those in the process of searching for new medical providers, it’s worth inquiring about what forms of technology they use. After all, considering the modern, technologically-advanced era we currently live in, patients probably want their physicians to rely on technology as much as they do.
Written by Dina Yazdani
